PressEthic

An Associated Press article that appeared on AOL News Online today recounted the story of a seemingly innocent prank-turned-arrest, made possible by YouTube. Gazi Abura was arrested after a home video was posted on YouTube that showed him impersonating a police officer and pretending to question a teenage boy about a robbery that he said had occurred in the area, the article explained:

An investigation led to Abura, 21, who was being held Tuesday pending arraignment on various charges, including impersonating a police officer and unlawful imprisonment, said Brown, who called the prank dangerous.

"His alleged actions not only damage the reputation of our police officers, who already perform a difficult job, but potentially could have resulted in injury to the victim or even himself," Brown said in a statement.

Abura could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted.

This brings to mind the old adage that one shouldn't write anything down on paper that he or she is not comfortable with the whole world seeing, and clearly the same can be said for home videos. The internet has facilitated the rapid transmission of information, and it has also created a platform for stupidity. It seems obvious that this prank was, indeed, harmless. However, the 16 year old boy had every right to react the way he did, especially considering the prankster's disregard for the accessibility of the internet. What's next, cell phone pictures being used as exhibits in the courtroom? Perhaps this story will soon show up on a future episode of "World's Dumbest Criminals."