Videos mocking Renton police: Protected speech or cyberstalking?

City leaders in Renton are determined to find out who posted cartoon videos on the internet that criticize and lampoon police. The city considers it cyberstalking.

The cartoons feature a man dressed in a police uniform confronting a female bureaucrat. At one point, the woman says “the department will take care of certain people and crucify others.”

Renton’s police chief Kevin Milosevich says some of the parodies are outright lies. He tells KING-TV he considers the videos cyberstalking.

“We ran the facts of this case by our prosecutor and they supported the information that met the definition of a crime and we were able to obtain a search warrant based on that information that was signed by a judge,” said Milosevich.

Doug Honig, with the American Civil Liberties Union, says people have a right to anonymous speech.

“In general, you have a right to post parodies on the internet, including ones that some people find very offensive,” said Honig.

Seattle attorney Brad Maryhew says the constitution protects whistleblowers against allegations of cyberstalking.

“It’s a difficult crime to prove and it’s especially difficult when it involves government activity,” said Maryhew.

The videos don’t mention the city of Renton or any city employee by name, but a judge has signed a search warrant seeking information about the creator of the parodies.