SEATTLE – The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington is suing the Snohomish Police Department for allegedly detaining a University of Washington who was taking photos of power lines as part of an art project.

Shirley Scheier, 54, is an Associate Professor of Fine Arts at the UW.

The ACLU says in October 2005, Scheier drove to Snohomish and stopped to take pictures of the power towers at a substation.   The group says Scheier was on public property and there was no indication that photos were not allowed.

The ACLU says as she was driving home on Highway 9, Scheier was pulled over by police and questioned about why she was taking photos.  Scheier, who often uses photos of public land and structures in her art, told police she was interested in power lines as part of the ecosystem.

That's when police allegedly put Scheier in handcuffs and had her sit in the back of a patrol car for almost half an hour.

"I was really terrified. I was frightened. I had never experienced anything like this," said Scheier. "I felt it was way out of proportion. It escalated into a totally unnecessary place."

Police released Scheier and told her she would be contacted by the FBI.

Critics of the lawsuit say the police were only doing their jobs and in a post-9/11 world, anyone taking pictures of a power station should expect to be questioned by police.

The ACLU says the lawsuit is seeking compensation for wrongful detention. This is at least the third time the local ACLU has gotten involved in a case where someone has been detained by police for taking pictures of sensitive locations.

The city manager for Snohomish says he has not seen the lawsuit so he cannot comment on it.