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Vallejo Police Officer Handcuffs Man Recording Arrest

VALLEJO (CBS 5) -- The Vallejo Police Department is under scrutiny after a man was handcuffed and cited for recording four people being arrested near his home.

Last Saturday, Lonnel Duchine said he was working on a car with a friend. He opened his garage door to find police arresting three young men and a young woman accused of a sandwich store robbery. From his garage, he then recorded video of the arrests with his cell phone.

While Duchine was recording, Officer Scott Yates approached and asked for his cell phone, saying it was evidence. After Duchine refused, he was handcuffed and issued a ticket for obstructing justice. Video of the incident was then posted on YouTube.

But police may be backing down. Duchine said he was recently contacted by Internal Affairs, asking that he may be interviewed for their investigation.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services may have contributed to this report.)

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