Cell phone snapshot lands man in jail

Maybe.

But the real question is: is the iPhone snapshot worth being handcuffed and carted off to jail for, put in a holding cell for a half hour then just let go? Perhaps, and perhaps not, according to Shane Becker, who took the picture.

"Framed it up for a second took the picture," he said. "It makes me upset, but it also makes me proud that I stood up for myself."

Becker was at the flagship REI store last week buying a lock for a bike rack- when he watched two Loomis Armored guards open an ATM near the checkout. The 29-year-old Web designer thought their actions would make for a neat photo, so he stepped out of line and took a picture. The guards didn't like that.

"(He said) I shouldn't leave and if I tried to leave, he was going to tackle me," said Becker.

According to the police report, one guard was worried about his safety and was concerned the photographer might attempt to grab the cash. Becker refused to show them his ID, so the guards called police who cuffed him and drove him away.

"In some ways, its totally surprising. Everyone has a phone in their pocket all the time now. This is not crazy," Becker said.

REI says it had no involvement with the incident; the store was simply the backdrop. Loomis referred questions to its corporate headquarters, but returned none of KOMO News' calls. The American Civil Liberties Union also didn't have time to talk.

But many are discussing the incident on Becker's blog. Becker's blog post about the incident has drawn 150,000 views in the past three days -- a huge jump from the average of eight to 12 hits he typically gets.

"Monday morning there was this huge explosion of traffic," he said. "I'm surprised that it turned into such a big thing."

Becker is seeking a lawyer. Seattle police refused to comment as the investigation is ongoing.

Worth a thousand words or not, the picture has gotten many more than a thousand views.