What starts as a routine First Amendment audit in downtown Riverside quickly turns into a confrontation over cameras, privacy, and the limits of security enforcement on public property. The auditor says he has every right to record from the sidewalk, while the security guard insists the filming must stop because people at the COVID testing site are being recorded. Then the situation gets even more heated when police are called. Pay close attention to what the officers actually do when they arrive because their response may be very different from what the security guard expected. >> What's up, guys? Riverside County Accountability, going to do a First Amendment audit right here in downtown Riverside. They have a bunch of government facilities, but I just happened to once again run into another COVID testing. I'm in public, man. I'm right here where I'm >> It's a HIPAA violation, man. >> Huh? >> It's a HIPAA violation. >> I'm I'm where I'm allowed to be, man. >> We got people here that are trying to >> I'm not recording them. >> What are you recording, man? >> I'm recording you guys at testing. >> Why are you recording them? >> Because I'm allowed to. >> Come on. Let me help them out. I'm just trying to get them to turn >> Help them out? I'm not recording them. I'm I'm recording you guys. >> Come on. >> You want to call the cops? Yeah. So now they're closing because of me. So right now I'm walking back to my car and the COVID testing is going to be right here. So let's just see how they how they act again. >> [snorts] >> And here is the first major issue. The security guard is claiming there is no photography allowed, while the auditor is standing on what he identifies as a public sidewalk. Those are two very different questions. A private rule at a facility does not automatically answer whether someone standing outside on public property can record what is visible from that location. The guard also brings up HIPAA, but HIPAA generally regulates covered healthcare entities and protected health information. It is not simply a blanket law making every person outside a medical site forbidden from recording. That does not mean every recording situation is automatically lawful, but it explains why this disagreement is more complicated than simply saying, "No cameras allowed." Would you have stopped filming here or continued from the sidewalk? >> There's no photography here. I'm going to have to call the police unless you stop. You need to move on. Move on, sir. >> I'm on a public sidewalk. I'm allowed to wear I'm allowed to be >> It's It's against HIPAA laws to that you're >> That's not my law, man. I'm allowed to record right here. I'm in public. The number is 911. >> I'm going to ask you to please stop filming. >> I'm going to respectfully decline. >> Uh hello. Uh my name is Keith Brown. I'm the guard for the Girard testing site for COVID at the City Hall. There is a gentleman here uh that's shown up with a camera and is refusing to uh stop filming. Uh our patients here are waiting a long time. Um Correct. Uh yes. Yes, he's sitting here filming me actually as as a law enforcement. Yes, he has a lot of state film inside and everything. That's why he's doing it. Uh he looks to Uh you know, I can't really tell. I would put him down as as possibly Hispanic. He's in a gray hoodie, black shorts, black shoes and socks with a a pink camera. Uh 30. He's got a goatee. >> 25. >> We are on the pedestrian mall right underneath the front doors of the student union. >> When they get here, they'll educate you. >> You need to move on, sir. >> No, I don't. >> Please stop filming. >> I'm going to zoom in on you, actually. >> Sir, you need to stop filming. >> Police are on their way. I'll wait. >> Good deal. Like I said, go ahead and film me. Just do not film anybody else. If If you you need to move on. You need to move on, sir. All right. >> You just stay out of here, sir. >> Excuse me. Excuse me, I'm on a [ __ ] sidewalk. >> You're bumping into me, sir. You have a good day. >> I'm walking on the [ __ ] sidewalk and you're [ __ ] bumping into me, you [ __ ] idiot. >> I'm saying that you do not be filming these people. You need to move on. >> [ __ ] up. >> You need to move on. >> You need to move on. >> You're going to [ __ ] touch my camera, [ __ ] move me out of the way when I'm walking on a [ __ ] sidewalk? >> You bumped into me, sir. You need to move on. >> [ __ ] you. >> You need to move on. >> You got no self-respect, you [ __ ] You're out of breath. >> [panting] >> You're a fool. I'll file a complaint on you. What's your company? Signal 88 Security? All right. And I heard your name in the beginning. It's a Pete or something. >> Please move on. >> No, I'm not. I'm going to continue walking on the sidewalk and if you do that [ __ ] again, I'll >> I'm actually just going to walk right here and I don't need you to film these You need you to move on. >> Okay, you're you're right in my [ __ ] space. >> I'm moving I'm beside you. >> Look at you. >> I'm beside you. You need to move on. >> Move. >> Stop trying to film these people. Stop trying to film these people. >> Watch out, man. >> Stop trying to film these people. >> I'm [ __ ] filming you now, man. Watch out. The [ __ ] [ __ ] piece of [ __ ] What the [ __ ] Can't move me off the [ __ ] sidewalk? >> Stop trying to film these people. Please stop trying to film these people. >> Now the police have arrived, and notice how quickly the dynamic changes. Instead of immediately treating the camera as the problem, the officer starts asking questions and giving a safety instruction about keeping hands visible. That distinction matters. A person can be detained or questioned under certain circumstances depending on the facts, but simply being approached by an officer does not automatically mean someone is under arrest. At the same time, an officer can legitimately be concerned when someone keeps their hands in pockets during an uncertain encounter. The key question is what legal basis the officer has for restricting the person's movement. Listen closely because the officer is about to explain his position. >> I'll come back. Pretty good. How are you yourself? >> So, can you tell me what's going on? Like so I understand. Just keep your hands out of your pockets for me, okay? >> I'm not I'm not I'm not under arrest or anything. I'm not under I'm not under arrest or anything. I'm not doing >> Keep your hands out of your pockets for me because I don't know what's in them. >> Okay, but I'm not I'm not under arrest or nothing. I'm not Why would I be detained? >> Because here I'll leave I'll leave your camera rolling. That's fine right here. It's on you. But we don't like people digging in their pockets. >> I'm not digging in my pockets. It's in my pocket. Okay, but I can put my hand out. >> Okay, that's something you're not allowed to do when you're dealing with the police. >> I'm >> And if you're if you're not okay with that, then you're free to leave. I think they asked you to leave. They asked >> Yeah, but I'm also on the sidewalk where I'm allowed to be. >> And you understand you're making people uncomfortable >> That that that doesn't matter. No. No. Okay, but I'm on a sidewalk. I'm on a sidewalk where it's perfectly public. >> Okay, and and it and it doesn't matter. That's fine. You're right. You can be on the sidewalk, but when you're making people uncomfortable and then call us, then we have to deal with you. You're not going to have your hands in your pockets. This is not >> This may be the most important statement in the entire encounter. The officer is essentially drawing a line between the person's location and his conduct. He acknowledges that being on the sidewalk by itself is not necessarily the problem, but he also wants the situation kept from escalating with security. That is a practical de-escalation approach. Separate the lawful activity from the behavior that could create a separate disturbance. Notice too that the officer is not simply accepting the security guard's demand that the camera be shut off. Instead, he appears to be evaluating the circumstances himself. Do you think this officer struck the right balance between respecting the public's right to record and maintaining order? >> Explain that, okay. >> So, that's to me I mean, as long as you're on the sidewalk, dude, and you're not causing problems with the security guard >> I wasn't. >> it is what it is, but just do me a favor, if you're going to continue to be in the area, just stay on the sidewalk. >> I'm okay. The whole time? >> You're not on probation or parole, right? All right. What's your last name, again? >> Uh I don't want to >> I mean, if you don't want to, that's fine, but you're being detained right now. >> Yeah, it's fine. I don't want to get into it. >> You've been here for quite a long time. All right, dude. >> So, what? >> Yeah, I'm going to take out my stuff now. Don't put your hands in your pocket. We appreciate your patience. When it comes to gray areas like this >> All right, and I totally understand. >> All right, just really quick. And then, I'm going to have you stay right there. All right. Relax your hand. All right, cool. All right, man, good luck. >> Thank you. >> And now, we get the auditor's version of what happened during the encounter. He says he was put in handcuffs and pushed by the security guard, while the footage shows the dispute developing from a disagreement over recording into a physical confrontation. It is important to separate what is visibly documented from what either side alleges. The video can provide evidence of movement, contact, commands, and police response, but it does not automatically establish every legal conclusion by itself. That is why these encounters are worth examining carefully. The central issue remains whether people can lawfully record from a public area while respecting legitimate boundaries around private property and protected information. >> So, that's it for now, guys. I was putting handcuffs. I was pushed by the security guard. I am going to file a complaint on the security guard through his company. But, like always, this is perfectly legal to record from the public sidewalk, from the sidewalk. Yet, they try to have me arrested. I got I got detained. But, they let >> In the end, this encounter moved from a simple disagreement over filming to a police response and a reported detention before the auditor was released. The officer's approach was notably different from the security guard's. Rather than automatically ordering the camera off, he focused on where the auditor was standing, whether he was creating a disturbance, and whether there was an immediate safety concern. The encounter also shows why knowing the difference between a facility's privacy concerns, security requests, and actual legal authority is so important. As always, this breakdown is for commentary and educational purposes, and the footage does not establish every fact beyond what is shown. What do you think? Did the officer handle this fairly, or should the situation have been handled differently? If you found this breakdown as intense as we did, hit that like button, share your thoughts in the comments, and don't forget to subscribe for more real-life body cam breakdowns. >> But, yeah, for now. Passaic County Accountability. I'm out.