In this video, a cop stops a father after receiving a call about a supposed juvenile running around naked nearby. But what begins as a concern for safety quickly turns into a full display of ignorance from an officer who doesn't even understand the laws he's meant to enforce. The father calmly explains his rights and makes it clear he hasn't committed a crime while the officer insists he can detain him just because he feels suspicious. He even claims that refusing to answer questions is obstructing an investigation. It's a perfect example of how officers misuse authority when they don't know the limits of their own power. >> Hi, how are you? >> Good. My name is Officer Weaver McKe Police Department. >> Okay. What's your badge number? >> Uh, my badge number is 304. What's your name, please? >> I don't answer questions. You ran my plate already. >> I did not run your plate. >> Okay, you can run the plate. >> Yeah, I I know I can run your plate because I have a legal right to do so. >> Is this a traffic stop? >> This is I'm conducting an investigation. >> Okay. So, I don't need to answer your questions. Well, if you hinder my investigation, you can be cited for that. >> Okay. >> Okay. That's the way that it is in Kentucky when I went through the academy. That's the way that I was trained is that if I'm conducting an investigation, I have the right to temporarily detain. >> Okay. What's your investigation? >> My investigation was that there was an approximate 12year-old juvenile, >> okay, >> running around this specific area, naked. That's a very serious complaint. >> Okay. >> Okay. It's not just a hey, how are you? Why are you here? This is a very serious complaint. >> Gotcha. Who made the complaint? >> Um, I received that call in public service and I do not have to tell you that. >> Okay. So, call the uh the complainant and figure out >> you know where this child went. >> We have nothing to do with that. >> Okay. All right. Do you have your identification on you? >> No, sir. I don't need to identify myself. >> You You don't have to identify yourself? >> Okay. You have reasonable articulate suspicion that I have committed a crime. >> I do not think okay >> that you have committed a crime. >> You have a body camera. >> I have my body camera on. >> Okay. Very good. >> This time so >> it's recording. >> And do you have an incident number for this >> or a CAD number or anything like that? >> Dispatch will have a CAD number because I just radio. >> Gotcha. So this is not a traffic stop. You're just doing an investigation, right? >> I am conducting an investigation in reference to the safety of a juvenile. It's a very serious charge. >> Okay. So, I'm not obstructing you in any way. You can go ahead and do your investigation, but I'm not answering any questions. >> You are obstructing my investigation >> by not answering any questions. >> No, that's not how it works. >> It's not how it works? No. >> Where did you get your degree? >> Okay. >> Are you an attorney >> or are you a citizen? >> I don't answer any questions. >> Okay. All right. Well, um, like I said, I am not trying to be difficult with you. >> Okay. >> I'm simply trying to conduct an investigation. From what I understand, >> Mhm. >> the way that I was trained at the DLCJT Academy in Richmond was that I have the right to detain you temporarily to conduct an investigation. >> You're refusing to answer my questions, which means you are hindering my investigation. >> That's not how it works. >> Okay. So, are you the authority on on the rules? Obvious. See, I'm not I'm just trying to follow them the best I was trained. >> Okay. >> Did you create the rules or >> do you suspect me of committing a crime? >> I suspect here's since you're since I don't have to interrogate you >> and I don't have to read you your rights cuz we're just talking. You're not under arrest. >> I think that you are being very suspicious in the sense that you do not want to identify yourself. You're creating a certain amount of suspicion about yourself. >> Is suspicious a misdemeanor or a felony? >> Nope. That is not a crime. >> Okay. >> You're not committing a crime. >> Am I being detained right now? >> You are being detained. >> Okay. >> That's right. So I can conduct >> For what crime am I being detained? >> You do not have to be committing a crime to be detained. I'm conducting investigation. I don't know if you understand what I'm saying to you. >> I mean I I said you haven't committed a crime. Okay. >> I said but I'm conducting an investigation. >> Okay. So do your investigation. >> May I have your name and your identification? No, sir. >> Okay. May I have the child's name? >> No. Those are my kids and they're minors. >> Okay. All right. Okay. And so you're refusing to answer my questions. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, if I if I write you a ticket for hindering my investigation, >> you'll be violating my civil rights and you'll be in civil litigation. >> Okay. For doing what? >> Am I being detained? >> You're being detained because I'm conducting an investigation. >> I'm requesting your supervisor now. >> Oh. Um, if he is still around, I'll be more than glad to get him for you. I tell you what, I'll try to call him on the phone to to have him. >> No, I I >> I don't want to speak on the phone. >> Okay. All right. >> Why don't you tell dispatch to call the uh the complainant, see if they can get a description or whatever the case may be to help you in your investigation. >> Sir, I'm the police. Are you a police officer? >> I don't answer questions. >> Okay. I'm a police officer. I have the authority over this investigation. Okay. I have the authority. >> Why are you harassing me right now? >> Can you please define harassment? >> You're harass You're harassing me right now. >> No, I don't meet the criteria. Just like you. You haven't committed a crime. So, I'm not charging you with a crime. >> Okay. >> You're saying that I'm harassing you, but I'm not I have not uh committed the act of harassment. I'm simply conducting an investigation. I mean you no harm. I mean you no discomfort. And I am certainly not going to violate any of your civil rights. Okay? All I'm doing is conducting an investigation. What I would like to know is is if if your ch children, however many you have in your vehicle, have been running around. >> And I answered that when you first pulled up. I said I know nothing about that. >> Okay. You said you know nothing about it. Yeah. was that >> okay? >> Um, like like I said, I don't want to violate your rights, but >> at all and I'm not going to violate your rights. Um, but I do have the right to conduct an investigation. >> Okay. >> You're refusing to cooperate and >> I I I don't work for you guys. I don't need to help you on your investigation. >> Well, you don't work for me. That that much is clear because I don't know you. If I did know you, I would know your name and that kind of thing. But so are you aware that in the state of Kentucky, if you're in operational control of this vehicle and an officer asked you to identify yourself, you're required to do that >> in a traffic stop. Is this a traffic stop? >> Well, it's it's an investigation. You have operational control of this vehicle. >> Okay. >> I need to know that you legally have the right to. >> You already ran the plate. >> I I didn't get the information back. >> Okay. >> This is not a traffic stop. I am Howard conducting investigation. You're in operational control of that vehicle. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. >> So, I mean, like I said, I I came to you professional. >> You just you >> Mhm. >> And you're refusing to jam yourself up. I'm telling you. >> Yeah. Okay. >> We were all good until you got here. We were having a splendid day, brother. >> Okay. So, >> don't don't violate my rights. So telling you >> so by asking you some questions I I >> No, absolutely not. You can ask but I can refuse unless you suspect me of committing a crime. I don't need to identify myself. Well, I tell you what, >> since since you're not under arrest and I'm going to do everything that I can >> to to treat you as fairly as possible, but if you put yourself in my shoes and you were a police officer and I refuse to identify yourself with a juvenile in >> That's actually good that you guys have body cameras. For a small department like yours, I'm actually I'm I'm glad you guys have body cameras. >> Do Do you know why we have body cameras? >> For Well, I I don't know why, but it's good for transparency. That's exactly right. I'm trying to be transparent with you. >> Okay. Do you have a a CAD number for this or >> I will have Okay. Yep. >> See, I'm not at my mobile computer because I'm conducting this investigation and just given the nature of what we have. Um I'm not going to step away from my vehicle. You you've created a certain amount of suspicion and uneasiness with me trying to >> So, how can I how how can I quell your suspicions? You can identify yourself. >> Okay. >> Do you sus do do you suspect me of committing a crime, Officer Weaver? >> Um, >> it's a yes or no question. >> I I suspect that reasonable suspicion is letting me know that there's a juvenile in your car that I can plainly see. That's plain view. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> I know that I got a call about a juvenile running around naked. >> Okay. Did you Did you observe any of these children running around Nath? >> Well, I don't know how many children you have. >> Can I May I see? >> Yeah. >> Why? Why not? >> Just two in here. Is there any in the back seat? No. In the very back. Okay. >> Okay. >> Okay. All right. >> And quite frankly, if you look at their faces, you're scaring them. >> Okay. What am I doing to scare them? >> You're harassing me. Their father. Can you please define the word harass, please? >> I'm not causing an alarm, a disturbance, or an annoyance. I'm simply conducting an investigation. Yeah. >> Because I'm a I'm a police officer. >> Okay. >> That is my job. So, how can I be harassing you if I'm simply doing my job? >> Gotcha. So, I'm not I'm not obstructing you from doing your job. You can do your investigation to identify yourself. >> I'm not identifying myself. I haven't committed a crime. Okay. Okay. >> This is not Nazi Germany. >> Do what now? >> It's not Nazi Germany. >> Oh, I I wouldn't I'm not uh And I'm not forcing you to. I'm just simply trying to keep you with within the the scope of my investigation. >> There's no reason why you should be afraid of me either, like you said. You know, >> I said suspicious, not scared. >> Okay. >> Okay. I'm going to go speak with uh this other unit real quick. Okay. >> Okay. So, I have spoke with uh Deputy Bobby Edwards with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office and I conferred with him and asked him, you know, I don't want to violate your rights. I am conducting an investigation. Okay. And I I feel like I do have reasonable suspicion that that something could be a miss here. Okay. >> But >> like what? But you have two juveniles in your car in the area that the complaint >> I've I've already clarified that these are my children. >> Yes, that's correct. >> And you're scaring them. >> Well, you know, the only thing that I know to tell you is something I learned a long time ago. I can't provide security, which is part of being a police officer, without some form of um what was the word? With a little without a little bit of discomfort. That just comes with the nature of this. And I don't mean it. I really don't. I'm simply trying to conduct an investigation. Um, but from after speaking uh with Deputy Edwards um and gaining some some wisdom from him, okay, I'm not going to step on your rights. And I do not think at this time, okay, from what the sum of everything that I've gathered, I do not think that you've committed a crime, okay? And I don't want to overstep my bounds as an officer by trying to force you to do something or try to force you to do something that is in direct violation of your rights. I have rights, you have rights. That's the way that I police. I want to be fair, firm, but fair within the law. And at this time, after speaking with Deputy Edwards, I do not feel like that I have enough evidence or uh probable cause to make you try to force you to identify yourself. Okay. And so with that, I'm going to leave you. I don't know your name and and that's that's all right. Um I don't think that you've committed a crime and I do apologize for inconvenience. That's what the word I was looking for where sometimes you can't provide security without inconvenience and that is a part of my job. So like I said, um have a good day and I apologize for your inconvenience, but I am going to be leaving. Um, and like I said, I don't think that at this time I have probable cause to think that you have committed a crime. So therefore, I'm terminating my investigation. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> This cop walked away, proving exactly what the man said from the start. He had no clue what the law actually allows. He admitted his training was flawed and ended the stop with nothing to charge the man for. Another officer had to remind him not to cross the line, showing once again that ignorance behind a badge is dangerous. This wasn't law enforcement.