2008 Woodie Awards
FBI Questions Valley Student on Campus
Photo student Bay'an Hedayaty's photographs cause a terror investigation.
Jesus Esquivel
Issue date: 11/16/05 Section: News
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He never thought he would be detained for an hour by deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and later questioned by FBI agents for taking pictures that didn't even come out properly.
"I am part Middle Eastern, but I never knew I looked like a terrorist," said the 30-year-old Valley College student. "I was taking pictures and noticed people were running away from me. I turned around and eight cops had me surrounded like a pack of wolves."
He said he calmly put his arms out to show he was unarmed and then a deputy slammed him against the wall and demanded, "Are you a terrorist?"
"It was the most intense experience of my life," said Hedayaty. "I have never been arrested or in any trouble with the law."
The deputies searched his backpack and made a fuss over a box cutter in his bag, he said. In a heated discussion, Hedayaty explained that he uses it to open parcels on movie sets.
The deputies' suspicions grew stronger when they saw Hedayaty was holding a framed painting, a gift he had received for his 30th birthday, that depicted several buildings with a plane flying over them, reminiscent of the 9/11 attacks.
An official took his ID and disappeared into an upstairs office at the subway station. Hedayaty was forced to sit on the floor, cross-legged, with his arms behind his back for an hour until the officer returned.
When the deputy returned he told Hedayaty, "You're in our file now, next time think twice about what you do." Confused and enraged, he was let go.
"I know they were doing their job," said Hedayaty. "The other officers were all right. But I'll never forgive the sheriff that slammed me against the wall. He is a wanker."
Hedayaty broke no laws. He said he checked first to see if there were any signs that prohibited photography.
