Now, am I still detained? Am I still detained? Or am I free to go? >> Yeah, get out of here. >> Don't tell me >> Tell me your name and star number first. >> Nope. >> Name and star number, then I'll listen to what you say. Name No, you don't. You think you control You work for me. >> When an unsupported ID demand on a public sidewalk suddenly turned into a tense confrontation, a citizen who knew the law forced police to face the bigger question. Was authority being enforced within the law, or was it opening the door to serious legal consequences? >> I'm talking about you. Back up. >> No. >> Back up. >> You're You're basically inviting all of this right now. >> That was >> Okay. You're pointing something over there from way over here. I don't You got something pointed at me. I don't know what it is. >> Just one camera was enough to make the officers tense, turning this confrontation into a test where public authority was placed under the lens of people who knew the law. The road was blocked, but the sidewalk was still open, and that was when the camera started changing the atmosphere. No barrier crossed, no police tape ignored, yet every step he took on the public walkway was about to pull him into a tense confrontation. >> And as you can see, they've got everything taped off here. Yeah, the lights are out. Let's see what we've got This guy's eyeballing me. He might have radioed. Just came out. Uh-oh, guys. Just got back up. >> So, I think they're trying to find a way to expand the perimeter so they I can't be over here. Like I said, I didn't come from any restricted areas, guys. Either they're playing Pac-Man or Tetris or trying to find a way to get rid of me. >> It seemed like standing on the public walkway should have made everything clear. But the deputy's arrival quickly changed the direction of the situation. What began as a question about the boundary of the closure soon shifted into unexpected demands and several unanswered questions. >> Let's go, man. Hey, can I talk to you guys real quick? >> I'm good. Appreciate it. >> Hey, you got your ID on you? >> Why the heck would I give you my ID? >> Cuz you're being detained right now. >> So? >> You're inside of an active crime scene. You're not >> Hold on. Slow your roll. Do you see this yellow tape? I have not once passed it. >> all the way back there? >> On the sides. I haven't went in there. I came from the sidewalk. I came from the sidewalk over there, which I'm not even required to give you that part. Other than that, I don't answer questions. I'm not here to help you in with your investigation. Slow your roll. California law knows you You know I I'm not moving along. Arrest me then. Arrest me. Let's go. Put up yellow tape and I'll go on the other side of it. Sir, I didn't Sir, I came from the sidewalk. There's nothing saying I can't come over here. That's for cars. So, you're telling me if I wanted to go visit that Sheriff's Department, and go in there, I couldn't walk up that sidewalk? And go into the Sheriff's Department? So, yes or no question. >> All I'm saying is that >> Would I be allowed >> A seemingly simple ID demand suddenly pulled the entire encounter into dangerous territory. And with one question, am I being detained? The balance of control began to shift in a way no one expected. >> Either I am or I'm not. If I If I am allowed And I'm not going to go into your I'm not going to go into your active crime scene. >> You already are inside of >> No, I'm not, sir. >> Do you have your ID on you? >> Not giving it to you. >> Okay. >> I'm not required by California law. You know that. Come on. >> detained right now, so you are >> Are you aware of Did you just get Did you just graduate or what? >> No. >> So, Califor Let me help you with a little Hold on. Stop. Slow down. Slow down. Slow your roll. California law, I only have to identify if I'm arrested during the booking process downtown, or pulled over in a traffic stop. You know that. Yeah, that's California law. Get your supervisor. Get your supervisor if you don't know the law. Before you violate my rights and California Penal Code 148.1G, 52.1, and lose your qualified immunity, and both have a lawsuit on your hand, get your supervisor. You guys are about to get schooled. But, if you want to go put up some tape, I will gladly walk over there. So, you're telling me Okay. You want to walk over with me? I can show you where I came. Because you know I'm right, huh? You know I'm right, huh? I just explained it to your partner. Ask him. >> No, but I'm asking you. >> Ask him. >> I'm asking you. >> Ask him. So, >> How'd you get in that crime scene? >> Name and badge, please. >> Deputy Real, badge 2406. >> Perfect. Appreciate it. >> from? >> Name and badge, please. >> Deputy Farrell, 2436. >> Appreciate it. And I like an incident number if you guys could generate a star or an incident number. Because I am going to be doing a FOIA request on your body cam and your body cam. It's public record. So, can you guys create a number, please, and give >> Yeah, we'll be sure to do that. >> Now, am I still detained? Am I still detained, or am I free to go? Don't tell me to get out of here. My question is yes or no. Am I free to go, or am I detained? You said I was detained. So, if I If I leave when you say I'm detained, that's a that's a crime. >> Get out of here. >> Am I detained? Yes or no? >> Get out of here. >> Am I detained? Yes or no? >> No. >> All right, so I'm I'm free to go, then. So, I'm free to >> One simple pushback suddenly flipped the balance of control as the officer's own words became the weak point in the confrontation. And when the cameraman began pointing to the legal consequences behind it, their avoidance only made the tension grow even heavier. >> Why don't you call your supervisor and ask identification laws and do a little more research before you make a mistake again like that. Luckily, I'm not here to give you guys a hard time. I'm not here to sue you guys. But if you guys try to violate my civil rights, you'll lose your qualified immunity. You can be held liable. Your union, nothing will protect you. Take me to jail if I'm if I'm breaking a law. Let's go. You're a clown, buddy. >> So, now you know my last name. Can I at least know what you would like me to call you? >> You can call me a guy with a camera. >> A guy with a camera? >> Yeah. That seems pretty friendly. >> All right, guy with the >> I'm not here for anything nefarious, nothing bad going on. I'm just recording. I'm not here to give you guys a hard time. I didn't even say one word until you did. >> I'm not saying you said anything. We're just saying that as far as the tape goes, it goes all the way out to >> Yeah, and I never passed any tape. I can guarantee that I have it all on film from the time I entered to the time I got here. >> Hey, show me that film. >> Nope. But you can look over there to go to the corner, and you can see it. You guys I deputies here. I'm sure your two partners can keep an eye on me without anything bad happening. >> I I got it. Go out to the corner. Walk on the sidewalk as if you're a pedestrian. There's no tape there saying I can enter this. And if there was, when I I've been I was here for 10 minutes before your partner came. I'm sure you would have told me to leave right away. That's your job. That's why you're sitting out here getting paid X amount of dollars to keep people out of here, correct? Out of the tape line, right here. Not on a public access area. Seriously, before you guys violate my rights, go take a look over there. It'd be It'd be worth investigating. And then if you feel that you guys need a larger crime scene, I'm just some advice, put some more tape up and I'll go on the other side of it. But eventually, that tape line has to stop and I'm going to be on the other side. Are you going to keep pushing it back? Where's the limit? That's what your boss put up, right? I would imagine or the detectives or the FBI or somebody. I'm not passing >> Just when it seemed like everything had calmed down, the arrival of more officers instantly stretched the atmosphere to the breaking point. What seemed like a normal recording quickly turned into a breathless confrontation where signs of abuse of power began to surface. >> You guys want a private conversation? You better take it somewhere else. 747 guys. How much backup do they need for one cameraman? Looks like my rights are about to be violated. >> What's up? >> How are you? >> Good. How are you? >> Good. All right, they're surrounding me. Stop it. >> No, no, no. We're not surrounding you. >> Don't surround me. >> We're not surrounding you. >> ft back. >> Calm down. Everything is fine. >> You're forcing me to go in this direction, guys. >> No, you're forcing yourself to go in that direction by walking >> I want everyone in my sight. Name and star number, please. >> WMA Blackwood, Captain. >> Okay. >> Name and star number, please. >> It's me, Blackwood, again. Is that all you want? >> Yes, please. >> I'll give you more than that. I'll give you the number for internal affairs, and I will encourage you to call them in the morning and complain about me to them. >> Oh, no, I'm not going to complain. I just want your name and star number. You haven't done anything to violate my rights. >> Okay. >> You've been very cordial. >> Hold, hold, hold on. >> I just want your name and star number first. Nope. Name and star number, then I'll listen to what you say. >> We we control the >> Name No, you don't. You think you control. You work for me. You work for me. You work for me. They work for me. >> Why are you out here? >> I don't answer questions. Those questions. >> You don't answer questions? >> So, once again >> What are you hoping to achieve >> 1046.2.1 subsection A requires you to identify cordially. I'd like to see your ID card, or you can just verbally say it. >> No. >> No. No. >> No. >> No. >> Are you going to break policy? Before you guys came, I wasn't bothering anyone. I was recording peacefully. They even said code four to another vehicle that went by. I'm not doing anything wrong. No laws being broken. >> We're trying to figure out what's up, we're just trying to figure out why you're here. >> The story came to an end, but the echoes of power and fairness still left viewers thinking. When respect is replaced by pressure, society must speak up before situations like this become normal. Next, just one camera in the dark was enough to make the atmosphere turn strangely tense. But when the official approached with a defensive attitude, the story began moving far beyond normal encounter. >> That's right. None of your business. I'm not breaking the law. >> Good. Good. >> We'll talk. >> When I do or we do or you do when we do we'll talk. >> do break the law we'll talk. >> That means you break the law. >> No, I don't. >> Well, you just said when we do you're not talking to me. You're not talking about me. You're talking about you. >> Okay. >> Back up. >> No. >> Back up. You're intimidating. >> I'm not intimidating you. >> Six >> you. >> Absolutely you are. Back up. >> You're you're basically inviting all of this right now. >> This is um Sergeant Banks. Well, he says he's sergeant but I don't see his stripes. Do you? >> Yeah, I don't see no stripes either. >> Are you really a sergeant? What's your badge number? >> Did he Did he approach you? >> Oh. I did. Oh, he's a liar. >> what that was. >> Ooh, you're a liar. >> You're in one way over here. I've you got something pointed at me. I don't know what it is. >> back up. >> And now that you see it's a camera, you know. >> you see it's a camera. >> What's your name? >> Huh? What's your name? >> I told you my name. >> I didn't get your name. You didn't tell me nothing. >> No, back up. >> It's as simple, dude. Where y'all from? >> None of your business. Go to work. >> I am working. >> Harassing us with a camera. Are you that afraid of a camera? >> No. >> What do you do wrong? >> Nothing >> You don't want to be filmed. Back up and go do your job. >> I am doing my job. >> That's all you have to do. Go do your job. >> I'm doing my job. >> Then go away. What part of this IS YOUR JOB? >> I DON'T HAVE to go away? >> Then what part of this is your job? >> Then what is this then here? How y'all doing? How are you? >> How are you? How are you? How are you? How are you? >> You are very aggressive. >> I am not aggressive. >> You are very aggressive. >> While the argument over the cameras still had not cooled down, another reaction suddenly pushed the situation into a new confrontation. And from that moment, even one small detail was enough to ignite the bigger question, where is the real limit of the right to record? >> K9 officer 1248 of the Sheriff's >> We were way over here in the dark. >> Somebody in the dark. >> Yeah, yeah. >> Somebody doing like this. I don't know what you're doing. >> Right, right. >> I'm going to come over there and check it out. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> With a flashlight. >> Like >> So I can see. I didn't have no gun out there. >> But but but then but then you start asking for names and stuff like that. Once you realize it's a camera. >> on. You asked my name and badge number, I gave it to you. >> You have to identify yourself as a See, there's a difference. >> I'm asking you. >> cuz you're a public servant. >> you. Okay, and I'm asking you. >> Yeah, you have every right to ask. You have every right to ask, but that doesn't mean we have to answer. >> You got smart, she got smart. >> I didn't get smart. Yeah, I have a I have a >> Did he give you your name? Did he give you your name? What's his badge number? >> Yeah, well I'm asking what names and badge numbers are, dude. Really? I didn't raise my voice, dude. >> Come on, man. >> I didn't raise my voice, yeah. >> Come on, man. >> Exactly, come on, man. >> Come on. >> Hey, first of all, don't do that. >> She's allowed to, sir. >> See? >> Exactly what they shouldn't be doing. Exactly what they shouldn't be doing. >> Get away from my unit. >> This is what we're after, right here. >> Don't go to my unit. Don't go to my unit. >> Ma'am, don't do that. >> I'm pretty sure that the people have paid for that unit. >> But you are Listen, no I am relaxed. >> You need to relax. You need to de-escalate. >> Ma'am. Back up off me, please. >> I wasn't on you. >> Cuz you're all you're all up in my unit. >> No. >> You have no right to be all up in my unit. >> And we're allowed to record that. >> Okay? >> What is that called? The finding. >> Find it. >> Plain view doctrine. >> Find it. Okay, but you can't be all up in there. >> That which is the plain view doctrine, which is protected too by law, too. See, this If you watch this, you understand what we're doing. What he's doing, I mean, we're allowed We can get right on the car. We can record inside the car. >> Dirty disgusting people. >> Listen. And it triggers people. >> Dude, ma'am. >> Excuse me. >> Sir. >> [clears throat] >> You're doing a bit much. You're doing a bit much. >> I'm sorry about this. >> You're doing a bit much. If you uh >> Yeah, if you talk to him. >> Yeah, James, he's a good guy. He's a good guy. >> Yeah, let him know >> I mean, you don't know me, but >> Right, right, right. >> Let her know I said hello. >> Yeah. >> Where you guys from, man? >> Uh we don't answer questions, man. You should know that. We're not going to answer any questions you try >> You know what they're doing. >> Oh, wow. See? >> Before the confrontation could settle, a new line was suddenly drawn between the right to record and what they called causing harm. And the moment police tried to turn normal observation into a problem, the signs of abusive power became clearer than ever. >> First Amendment Law, right now we're doing cop watch. >> Okay. >> There's two different categories, First Amendment and cop watch. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right now, cop watch. And what she's doing is completely legal. If he was to do anything that >> What's not is when you're all up in that, all up on it, and you're in it, all around it. >> We can sit on the hood of that car. >> Okay. >> Let me repeat that. We can go sit on the hood of that car. See, and that would and that he thinks would be illegal. >> You'll be in public It's public, right? >> It's public property. >> It's owned by the city. You're damaging public property. >> If we If we If we leave If we leave damage >> And and you would be damaged. >> Like if I touch the car, it's not going to leave damage. >> You can roll the window up. >> Scratch it, do all of that stuff, and we have to But I'm Well, I'm just >> I'm just I What I'm trying to do is tell you >> But I understand that. What you're saying is you sit on it, you'll damage it. >> If we cause damage, yes. If there's damage. >> And you'll damage it by sitting on it. I weigh about >> I weigh about 120 lb, so I doubt it. >> 2 lb. >> Mhm. >> If it If you scratch it, you scratch it. >> Right. And that's basically what we're out here doing. We We We teach people law. We We know law very well. We have to know law very well before we go out and do I've been doing it for over 8 years. >> Okay. From where? >> Huh? >> From where? >> There you go again with the questions. That sounds like another question to me. That sounds exactly like another question to me. See, this is what we call a can back in our world. >> No, I just want to give it to my people so they'll know. >> Oh, that's fine. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This is what we call a can back though. Don't erase that footage. Is that your personal phone or company phone? >> So >> I could fully request that. You know, if you erase that footage now that you're taking footage of us, if you erase that, that's a felony against you. >> Okay. >> Just letting you know. >> Okay. >> Trust me, we know the law very well. >> Okay. Any second now. >> Yeah, go ahead. >> So >> I'm not answering any questions. I'm not answering >> You have to you're a public servant. >> I'm not >> See, this clearly does not know >> I'm not answering any questions. I'm not answering any questions. I'm not answering any questions. I'm not answering I'm not talking to you. Then stop talking to me. I'm not talking to I'm not talking to you. You live in Amy? You live in Amy? I'm not going to answer Me neither. >> As the accusations began losing their footing, the authorities control started to shake under the camera. And in front of people who knew the law and refused to back down, a confrontation that seemed ready to explode suddenly took an unexpected turn. >> Mhm. >> You have Okay, okay, no, no, no, I'm going to let you finish. Uh-huh. Right. Okay. Don't put the flashlight Okay. Continue. Okay. You asked me my name and my badge number. Did I give it? Yes. So, I'm not aggressive. I'm coming over to check something out. It's pointed at me. Okay, my turn now. Once you realize it's a camera, it should have been it should have been done over. >> But still, you know, engage. >> You should have said camera and then >> Almost stop, man. Stop. But you can go ahead on. >> Ego won't let him stop. >> And [laughter] the ego. I got the focus on me. Well, well, well, there's there's I I don't I don't feel like I don't I don't I don't feel like it's on me. >> Because you're the jerk with the >> So, now names and stuff like that. You can put some You can put some You can play that little groundhog. It's fine. Something. I didn't say gun, but I said something. You would be doing the same thing. >> But if it looks like a camera, I'm not going to freak out and start shining the light at >> I didn't freak out. >> Yeah, you did. You got very >> No handcuffs, no arrest, but the story still ended with a reminder that calmness, knowing the law, and mutual respect are the foundation that keeps public authority from becoming a source of fear for the people. Citizens can sue police under Section 1983 when their rights are violated. Officers who violate those rights may face compensation payouts, disciplinary action, or even termination. Authority only has value when it is used to protect people, not when it turns a citizen's knowledge of the law into a threat. So, what do you think about this situation? If you enjoyed the video, don't forget to like, subscribe, and consider supporting us with a donation. Thank you so much. >> [music]