If you are legally in a public location and you are not interfering with the police, anything you can see can be photographed or video recorded. If the police tell you to step back, take two steps back and ask if that is far enough. The police have no authority to stop public photography and in Colorado it is against the law for the police to interfere with or try to intimidate public photographers. This covers everyone, not just journalists.

If the police officer(s) is getting his/her ass handed to them while trying to control someone on the street, put your phone away and ask the officer if they would like your help. Sadly this is just not common sense anymore.