Oh, you you you you you you >> Listen. >> Eric, what are you going to do? You bow up? >> I'm listening. >> I'm ready. >> You're not listening to >> You would disrespect and I'll get paid. I'll get paid. You relax. You're the de-escalator. Eric. >> That's exactly what I'm doing. >> YOU ARE THE DE-ESCALATOR. >> I'M >> BACK UP. >> I'M TALKING to you. I need you to calm down. >> Then back up and I'll talk to you. Stop me. >> No, as of right now, hey >> [ __ ] you. >> Hey >> Put hands ON ME. PUT HANDS ON ME. PUT HANDS on me. >> Stop. >> Watch me. >> They don't want YOU TO STOP. >> YOU PUT HANDS ON ME. >> NO, STOP. STOP. >> WATCH ME WOO YOU. >> YOU NEED TO STOP. >> I AM THE MAN. >> YOU'RE A MAN, YES. >> Hands behind YOUR BACK NOW. HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. >> HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. >> DEPUTIES WERE CALLED AFTER AN UBER driver reported that her passenger had become aggressive during a ride from a bar. At first, officers were simply trying to work out what happened, but the passenger quickly turned his attention away from the driver and toward the deputies themselves. And every attempt to calm the encounter seemed to produce another challenge. >> Hey, Joseph. You have You don't have any weapons or anything? I got to ask you. >> No, sir. You can check. >> All right, I'll have you just kind of spin that patch out for me. All right, hands up. All right. >> Hey, I just had a heart attack. I got to get a student. >> I just got to make sure. I just got to make sure. >> Last night, heart attack. >> I just got to make sure, okay? >> I'm back in business. I'm good. >> Okay. So >> Just talk to her. >> She's freaking because she's scared of >> What? Okay, so we're we're I'm trying to de-escalate the situation here without us getting any further. This first of all, did anything Did anything physical happen or is it >> No, hell no. Let's go double check. >> Do you have Do you have a driver's license? >> Yeah, I do. I don't have I didn't pay for it, but I have a I have Yeah. >> Okay. >> I'm not driving. I got I got everything you want to know. >> The driver had reported becoming afraid during the ride and ending the trip. Eric denied that anything physical happened between them. >> My phone died. >> 100%. I'm no disrespect. I'm about it. >> Perfect. >> But I'm not going to let nobody disrespect me. Cop or anyone. >> We're here to stop anything from hurting, okay? >> Talk to me. >> All right. I was going to meet >> We can talk about what I'm doing. >> I'm not freaking out about nothing. >> She is. She's the problem. >> All right, we're here to figure out what exactly happened, okay? All right, so >> I hired a cab. She took me the wrong way. I said, "Take me back." You're going the wrong way. >> Were you already in the vehicle and you left? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Paid transaction. >> Okay. >> It's from from a friend. >> Just because she's going the wrong way is the way you would go, she has to follow her GPS. >> WE DON'T GO TO PORT CHARLOTTE TO GO North Englewood. Period. >> So you're you're Answer this question. >> put my foot down. I yelled at her. >> Okay. So you think >> Freedom of speech. >> You going to shut up now or what? >> No. >> Oh, you you got to listen. >> Listen. >> Eric. >> What are you going to get bowed up? >> I'm listening to you. >> I'm ready. >> You're not listening to me. >> You would disrespect and I'll get paid. I'll get paid. You relax. You're the de-escalator. >> Eric. >> YOU ARE THE DE-ESCALATOR. >> I'M >> BACK UP. >> I'm talking to you. I need you to calm down. >> Then back UP AND I'LL TALK TO YOU. >> I haven't touched you. >> Then back the [ __ ] up. >> I don't need to. need to stop. >> Okay. I need TO STOP WHAT? >> SO, are you going to continue >> don't Do it. >> Are you threatening to punch me? Is that what you're trying to do? Is that a good idea? So, >> What the [ __ ] ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? >> SO, the instance here >> Are you Putting hands on me? >> Does it look like I am? >> I THINK YOU ARE. >> Stop spitting on me. >> Back up. IT IT DEESCALATES. >> I am. >> THEN BACK UP. >> I'm not backing up. You need to leave. >> No. >> I'll walk you out. >> NO. NO. NO. >> YEAH. >> I'll take YOU TO THE HILL. >> OKAY. I'll be right back with the trespass warning. >> GO AHEAD. >> BY THIS POINT, THE ORIGINAL dispute with the driver has almost disappeared from the conversation. The immediate problem is now Eric's confrontation with the deputies, and officers begin moving toward removing him from the property. >> I SEE YOU. I KNOW YOU. I KNOW EVERYBODY THINK ABOUT YOU. >> You need to stop. >> THEN TAKE CARE OF THIS. >> We are, right now. >> Let it go. >> We're not letting anything >> I know where he lives. You want me to announce him and his KIDS AND HIS FAMILY? >> Mind stopping to spit on me? >> I know everything. YOU WHAT DO I WANT? GET OUT OF HERE, >> YOU need to stop looking at her, okay? >> This is the catalyst. You know who I am. >> This is the first time I've ever met you. >> I'm walking out. Stop me. >> No, as of right now, >> you. >> [clears throat] >> I >> Put hands ON ME. PUT HANDS ON ME. PUT HANDS on me. Watch it. PUT HANDS ON ME. >> STOP. >> YOU PUT HANDS ON ME. >> STOP. >> WATCH ME RULE YOU. >> YOU NEED TO STOP. >> I AM THE MAN. >> You're a man, yes. >> THEN YOU BETTER BACK THE [ __ ] UP. You conscious. >> Eric. >> You're now trespassed from this place. We're going to find >> No, I need to hear from the owner. >> He just told you >> IN PAPER. IN PAPER. IN PAPER. >> GO OVER HERE. Over here. We're going over here. You're being trespassed. >> Don't >> trespassed. Come on. You're being trespassed. >> You want this easy or soft? >> Trespassed. >> For what? >> They just told me you're trespassing. >> For what? >> Exactly what you're doing right now. Causing a disturbance. So let's >> And I EXPECT THAT. >> All right. >> All right. So Put your hands ON ME OR YOU'RE GOING TO DIE. >> OVER THERE NOW. You need to stop. >> You better get like three of you. >> I'm not going to need three. Trust me. So let's go. >> You will. >> Come on, Eric. Over to the car. >> Now. >> I'm asking you to be nice. >> I am being nice. >> I'm going to put you down and you'll never get up. You'll never >> Taser. Taser. Taser. Get over there. >> What? Let's go with it. >> Over there now. >> LET'S GO WITH IT. DON'T I'LL TAKE YOUR [ __ ] >> OVER THERE NOW. GET OVER THERE. LET GO OF ME. OVER there now. >> I don't give a Hands up. HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. >> HANDS BEHIND YOUR >> HANDS BEHIND YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK NOW. HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK NOW. >> [screaming] >> HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. NOW. HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK NOW. >> TAKE THEM OFF AND I'M GOING TO LISTEN. >> NO, we're past that point now. >> No, we're not. >> We're past that point. >> Then call the Call the unit. You know who I'm talking about. Call the special unit. I am dying on the man. >> All right. Guys, stand up, please? Get to your knees. >> Pull me up. Pull me up. Pull me up, please. >> To your knees. >> I lift you with everything. YEAH, I WILL NEVER GO TO JAIL. >> You're going to go to jail. >> You want to bet? >> Yeah, I bet. You didn't have to go to jail. >> Call my lawyers, arms. I'll get the feds over you. I didn't wish you were being that. >> This could have This could have de-escalated a lot faster. >> up, please. Please pick that up. >> Yeah, William Shatner. >> No. >> Just a minute. >> Focus. Focus. Focus. Hey, you guys [ __ ] up cuz now >> [ __ ] up, bud. >> What? >> You did. You did. >> HOW? >> STOP. >> HOW? >> STOP. >> HOW THE [ __ ] UP? >> STOP. >> I got you. I'll see you in person. You're going this way. In person. We're going this way. >> Pick that up. >> You want to in a minute. It's not going anywhere. Stay right there. >> You don't know who I am? Jimbo? >> Okay, traffic. >> Oh, Jimbo. But you put hands on first. >> I never touched you first. >> We We tried to We tried to from the very beginning. >> Yep. >> We tried to respect you from the very beginning and now we're now we're here. >> Do what you got to do cuz I'm ready to >> are Please walk. >> WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? >> WALK, PLEASE. >> Walk Tell me where. >> To that car right there. >> This vehicle right here on the left-hand side. >> Y'all don't respect me. Respect goes forward but backwards. I would respect you for your service. You You treat me like >> No, sir, I did not. >> YOU [ __ ] IN HERE NOTHING. WHY? CUZ I'M YELLING? YEAH. >> WE started talking to you and you started acting >> No, you just You told me what I had to do. >> Right. >> No, you broke the law right there. >> No. >> Right there. You want to bet? >> Told you you had to leave because >> I'm going to walk from this. I'm going to walk from everything. >> Okay. >> Because you disrespected law. >> I didn't disrespect anything. >> What do you mean? You disrespect Hey, and you're going to be the one chumping it. >> Okay. >> You and you. >> I'm sorry you feel that way. >> I'm going to bash you. >> All right, fine. These guys are going to check you out real quick. >> I'm going to make sure you're public. Public property. Yeah. >> Everything I do is public record. >> Yeah, you risk your life and your family's life. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> me. It's not me that's going to do it. It's It's the anarchy coming. >> All right, go and take a seat. Go and have a seat. All right, we're going to take your vitals, okay? >> We're going to take your vitals. We're going to make sure your heart's okay. >> Yeah, I just had a heart attack yesterday. >> Okay. What hospital did you go to? >> Inglewood. >> Go and sit down, Eric. >> People don't get up and do what they do when that. I think I am. >> Go and sit down, Eric. >> According to the case information released with the footage, Eric was taken to the Charlotte County Jail after the arrest. He was reportedly booked on four charges: disorderly intoxication, trespass after warning, resisting an officer without violence, and battery on a law enforcement officer. That final allegation is the felony charge. Those are charges arising from the incident, not convictions. And the body cam by itself does not establish the eventual disposition of the case. There is an important distinction in this encounter that is easy to miss. Simply being intoxicated is not, by itself, what Florida's disorderly intoxication law prohibits. The statute requires additional conduct. Among other circumstances, it covers an intoxicated person who endangers someone or property or causes a public disturbance in the circumstances described by the law. And that helps explain why Eric's behavior matters more than simply whether he had been drinking. Watch how the encounter develops. The deputies initially spend considerable time talking to him. Eric is allowed to explain his dispute with the driver, including his complaint that she was taking the wrong route. He even acknowledges that he yelled at her, but the confrontation gradually stops being about the Uber ride. Eric begins challenging the deputies themselves. He repeatedly tells an officer to back up. He asks whether the officer intends to punch him. He repeatedly invites physical contact. And after he is told that he is being trespassed, his language becomes substantially more threatening. That sequence matters because another charge reported after the arrest was resisting an officer without violence. Under Florida law, that offense involves resisting, obstructing, or opposing an officer while that officer is lawfully carrying out a legal duty without offering or committing violence against the officer. Then there is the felony allegation. Florida law gives special treatment to a qualifying battery committed against a law enforcement officer who is lawfully performing official duties. A battery that would ordinarily be a misdemeanor can be reclassified as a third-degree felony when the statutory requirements are satisfied. But there is also an important limit to what this footage allows us to conclude. During the actual physical struggle, the camera moves rapidly and several people are involved. The footage should be allowed to speak for itself rather than pretending that every movement is perfectly visible from a single body cam angle. And the same caution applies to Eric's repeated claim that officers touched him first. Hearing someone make an allegation on body cam is not the same thing as proving that allegation. What the footage documents much more clearly is everything leading up to that moment. Eric is repeatedly given opportunities to keep the encounter verbal. Instead, his language moves in the opposite direction, eventually including a warning that an officer would die if he put his hands on him, followed by the claim that the officer would need several people, and that Eric would put him down. Seconds later, the encounter becomes physical. That progression is the key to understanding the arrest. The most consequential part of the video isn't one isolated sentence or one split-second movement. It's how many opportunities existed for the confrontation to end before it reached that point.