No, your camera. You can't take that. That's no. >> You're not going to communicate with us. Do you have an ID with you? Do you have an ID with you? >> Pat him down for an ID. He's not going to cooperate. >> You are being detained. No, no, no, you are being detained. >> A seemingly baseless demand for ID on a public sidewalk set off a chain of controversial actions by police, and what happened afterward is what truly left viewers questioning everything. >> I'm investigating >> Okay. >> whatever this is. >> What crime? >> Possible trespassing? >> Okay. Well, I don't like your your movements, so I'm going to detain you. I don't I You keep backing away from the car. >> going anywhere. You don't have the right to detain me. You don't have the right to detain me. You don't have the right to detain me. You don't >> have the right to take my >> You're under arrest. >> A baseless demand for ID turned an ordinary act of filming into allegations of police overreach right in front of the camera, and when the facts were finally reexamined, the legal consequences for those wearing the badge may have only just begun. Man was simply standing on a public sidewalk with a camera. You know, within minutes, the entire bank was in an uproar. What was it that caused an employee to lose their composure and immediately call the police? >> Hey. Hello. Sir. Hi. Can I help you? Can I help you? No, your camera. You can't take that. That's no. No. Sir, no. You can't do that. No. No. I'm going to call the cops. I'm going to call the cops. >> She's going to call the cops. What can you see? That's what I'm trying to see. What what can you see? But She did say she called the cops. And uh Let's see. She actually standing right here. Let's see what happened, y'all. Stay with it. The lady up on the window saying >> After a tense confrontation with a bank employee, a 911 call was made. And when police arrived, the situation unexpectedly turned into a high-pressure demand for identification that quickly escalated the tension. >> He wouldn't stop. He was taking pictures out of the window, taking videos inside. Leave him alone. Leave him alone. He was inside. I came out here and I stood in front of him. My hands are telling him to stop. He's not listening. He completely just pretended like I didn't exist. My manager, my assistant manager came up here and told him to stop. We stood in front of the window. We put a sign in front of the window. Every time we put the sign here, he moves over to take more video. That's no. Absolutely not. >> Has he said anything to you? >> No. He's completely quiet. He hasn't said a word. But we can't let him just keep the video of our home. Like that's not okay. >> Can you shut that off? >> Central 315, go ahead with your traffic. >> Officer Jose? So, he's holding the camera up to the window recording the inside. Officer Jose? >> And he keeps pointing. He was like he was doing counting. >> This is the guy from the other bank. Okay. >> I have him on video as well. >> Now, him holding the camera up to the window recording the inside, he can't he can't do that. >> No, absolutely not. He was like I don't know what he was counting, but he was like doing the counting. And then he walked away from here. >> Okay. He's doing that. Okay. You need to communicate with him. He needs to leave. He needs to stop doing that. He needs to leave. >> And I don't know that the bank is going to let him do that video. >> He's not talking. >> He's got >> You need to speak. You need to talk. Parlez-vous français? >> English? >> Parlez-vous français? What do you speak? I know you're on the sidewalk, but you can't record the inside of a building. That's an invasion of privacy. You can't do that. Even from the sidewalk, you can't do that. >> Simply because the man chose to remain silent, the sergeant's attitude suddenly shifted in a way that raised eyebrows. There was no clear accusation, no specific crime alleged. Yet, what the three officers did next made it seem as though they had just apprehended a dangerous criminal. >> Yeah. Get the badge number. Are you going to leave? Are you going to leave? No, cuz you're recording the inside of Leave. You're not going to communicate with Do you have an ID with you? Do you have an ID with you? >> Pat him down for an ID if he's not going to cooperate. >> You are cooperate. You are being detained. No, no, no. You are being detained. >> Pat him down for a minute for his phone and wallet, please. >> I don't care. I don't care. Want to play these games not listen? >> Check for his ID. >> Oh, no, that one's not done. >> It's that one. >> Turn your wrist, man. >> Phone. Is there anything in his wallet or something over here? >> Okay. >> Get his wallet so we can ID him. >> Is there anything in his wallet or something over here? >> Can you just give me his wallet real quick? >> Copy one to take. >> What you don't understand is you cannot hold a camera up to a window to record the inside of a building. That is not constitutionally protected. >> Pat his back pocket. You know that's not constitutionally protected. You think somebody can record can record through your window inside your house? Whatever. Whatever. Whatever. No, you can't. That's invasion of privacy. If you're holding the camera recording it's I'm not even argue with you cuz you don't want to listen. No. No, I'm not going to cuz you don't want to. Because you played stupid games. I can't understand what you're saying. We tried. So, I can invoke my fifth amendment right. I don't have to talk. I hope you find the ID. You're going to realize you messed up. No, we didn't mess up anything. You did. >> After the baffling search conducted by the three officers, the man's calm demeanor and knowledge of the law seemed only to further frustrate the sergeant. From that moment on, each action that followed appeared less like law enforcement and more like an effort to find a reason to justify what had already been done. >> Yeah, so we walk out and we got the camera and we're like, "Hey man, what are you doing?" He doesn't say a word. He won't say a word to us. And we're like, "Hey man, you can't be doing this. You can't point the camera inside the bank." And he just won't say a word. He just keeps pointing at the sidewalk. And so he wouldn't say >> You're not listening. >> Okay, so if this is a house okay, and this is somebody's window to their bedroom. You think you could just walk up >> There you go. You don't you don't I can't go on someone's property. I can't go on someone's property. I can't go on someone's property. Hey. I thought you officers would be smarter on the public sidewalk. Okay. There's no You can't turn a constitutionally protected activity into a crime. Are all of you officers on the same page? You can't turn a All right, y'all. Let's go. >> The man was handcuffed and held in a police vehicle. Yet, in the end, no clear violation could be found. And as signs of overreach began to emerge, the officer's actions suddenly took a very different turn. >> You take care of it from here? I got it. >> What they have? What What they have? >> Deonna Johnson. >> Oh. >> Huh? >> She got a hit. >> Okay, we're going to We're going to ID him and let him go. >> We're going to what? >> We're going to ID him and let him go. >> Unless he has a >> Unless he has a warrant. >> All right, I want to unlock the door. He's in this one, right? >> Yeah. >> Okay, this is what's going on. We've got a trooper coming with a fingerprint scanner to ID you. As soon as we ID you, if you don't have any wants or warrants, you're going to be released. Do you have any wants or warrants? You don't have to tell me. I'm just telling you what's going on. >> Hey, we're going to find out who I >> three grand >> to ID you, and if you don't have any wants or warrants, we're going to let you go. >> And if you come back, you'll be arrested for trespassing. >> They want you to trespass, so >> I wasn't even on their property. >> Okay. >> So, >> Okay, they All right, they They just don't want you to go inside the bank. >> was in their bank. >> Okay. >> Of course I knew not to go in their bank. Return. >> Okay, as long as you understand. >> And I'm just really shocked that this how this turned out on a public sidewalk, and you are a sergeant. >> You were a >> You escalated this, sir. >> No, listen, I know people always trying to say I'm trying to antagonize somebody. That's why I didn't want to speak. I let you do it. >> He tried to break my wrist by tightening this up, bro. I'm not doing nothing wrong. I can't wait for you to call Iowa Police Department. They know exactly who I am. I'm pro-police. >> Wait till you all find out who I am. I'm pro-police. >> That's right. >> Yeah, buddy. >> You intentionally bro, you tried >> No, I didn't No, I didn't say nothing to nobody. Why don't you tell them to close their blinds? They got blinds. >> Okay, well, I'm going to go tell them that. >> What are windows made for? >> to go tell them that. >> But what are windows made for? >> So, I'm telling you what's going on. We're going to ID you and as long as you don't have any wants or warrants. >> Hey, I don't agree to no searches or seizures. You shouldn't be ID'ing me or nothing like that. >> an officer >> ID'ing me unlawfully. >> It's a safety It's a safety issue. >> It's a safety issue for the bank. We don't know if you're a bank robber. Okay? >> Come on, man. You That's the [ __ ] you come up with. Uh-uh. Now, check this out. >> Somebody told >> Hey, look. They told me to come out here. I'm only on the sidewalk. >> You're not even Listen, we're not >> I'm on the sidewalk. >> As long as you As long as there's no wants or warrants, >> I ain't got no warrants. I'm lawfully I hold you accountable. I got to be accountable. >> After several awkward and increasingly tense exchanges, the officers' own internal discussions began to reveal the truth. At that point, the incident was no longer just about a camera on a public sidewalk. It had become a case that could carry serious consequences for the officers because of the actions they chose to take. >> Uh-uh. Nope. >> Well, chief said since he was on the sidewalk, uh he wasn't I mean, what he was doing was provoke a response, and we absolutely have the right to detain him to find out what's going on. But once we find out he's not breaking any laws, we got to let him go. >> Cuz what chief looked up >> If it was an area of the bank that's not open to the public, then that'd be different. But since it's the lobby that anybody can walk into, then >> Which makes sense. I mean, >> It doesn't It does not mean he's >> Cuz like to me that is a public space. >> Yeah. >> It doesn't mean he's not allowed to be. But honestly, I Like I said, I I would have figured >> Peace disturbance at the very least cuz they didn't want him to do that and he's doing it. >> Let's go ahead and let's go ahead and get him out, if you don't mind. We can't be holding him forever. Yeah, good to go. Just let him out. >> All right, come on out. All right, man. Come on out. We're going to be letting you go now. >> Look. >> Nothing. >> Pat-search real quick? >> Yes. All of that for that, huh? >> Yeah. >> What did you think of me leaving last time seeing you folks? Please, I need the uh Can you give me your name and your badge number, please? >> Officer Crawford, badge number 365. >> have a business card on you? >> Yeah, you want it? >> Please. >> Yeah, I can get that for >> What? >> That should be wrapped up in there. >> In the envelope? >> Yeah, folded in the um Dylan brought it over. >> The man was eventually freed from what many viewed as an unjustified set of handcuffs, but the story was far from over. The officers involved could soon find themselves facing legal scrutiny and the consequences of their own decisions. Next, a camera, a bank, and a 911 call were all it took to send an otherwise ordinary situation in a completely different direction. But when police arrived, a highly controversial demand was made and it set the stage for a confrontation far more intense than anyone had expected. >> Hey, man. >> How's it going? >> Uh apparently you guys were Officer Bremmer. >> Bremmer. >> And what's your name and badge number? Long story short, it sounds like whatever you were doing at the bank, they don't want you to be over there anymore. >> on the public sidewalk recording. >> Okay, well, they said that whatever you were doing, they just don't want you over there anymore. >> I was on the public sidewalk. They can't tell me not to be >> Okay, I don't know, man. That's why I came over here to talk to you. >> there? >> No, not really. >> You can go over there. >> Uh and >> I didn't think I told them they came outside. Let me calm down. They came outside, the guy Aaron. He said, "Hey, what are you doing?" I said, "I'm an independent journalist. I'm just gathering content on the story." I was walking all the way up down Truman and I walked down there to record the train. And then the lady came out, she said, "Hey, you can't record the bank." I said, "Ma'am, I'm on public property." So >> Yeah, but you could see why that that would kind of make them uncomfortable, right? I mean, it's a bank. >> even see nothing. >> I I know, but they don't know that. >> Yeah, you can. If you stand outside and you look at the bank, you can't see anything. The windows is tinted. >> Okay. Do you have an ID on you? >> Do I need an ID? >> Yes. >> For what? >> Well, they identified you, you just identified yourself as being over there. >> On the sidewalk. >> I'm investigating whatever this is. >> What crime? >> Possible trespassing. >> I was on the sidewalk. >> You need to identify yourself so we can issue you the warning for trespassing. >> I was How you going to trespass if I'm on the sidewalk? >> Because they're saying you were on the property. >> I got camera footage. Now, if they lying to you and I show you that they lying, are you going to do something to them? >> That's that's on them, that's between you and them at that point. >> That'll be a court deal. >> I'm on the public sidewalk. I came all the way up training. I walked down there to get the footage of the train. On my way back, I just looked I just looked at the I just looked at the bank and they came running outside. >> Okay. >> So Yeah, came back over here, walked there, about to go to work. >> Okay, so I need your ID. >> No, sir. >> I do, though. >> No, you do not. For what crime? >> I just told you they put in a call on you. >> I wasn't I wasn't >> You just identified yourself as the party over there. >> I was on the sidewalk. When you when you pulled up, I wish I was on the sidewalk. >> I was right here, sir. >> So, I'm con- I'm confused, man. So, you're going to refuse to give me your information for a lawful stop. >> I'm not >> So, you're going to get arrested and hindered. >> No, no, I'm not obligated to give you my ID. >> You I just told you >> Because I haven't committed no crime. No crime was committed, sir. >> It seemed like nothing more than a dispute over identification, but within seconds the situation escalated because of the officer's own actions. And when the handcuffs came out, the biggest question still remained unanswered. What law had he actually broken? >> It's It's in the call notes, brother. >> Do you want me to stop this video and show you? >> No, I would like to get your information so I could issue the verbal warning and send you about your way. >> I wasn't on their property. That's how trespass work. Trespass if you're on the property, they tell you to leave. That's how it go. They give you a chance to leave. >> You're also video taping them and they don't know that you have a selfie stick. Why would citizens that are probably unarmed come and and approach you? >> Why would you say that one more time? >> Why? You Okay, so first off, you're video taping, you're standing outside, you're being extremely suspicious. They can't tell that that's a selfie stick. Why would citizens that are un- >> It was like this. >> How are you going to ask me a question and then not let me finish? >> like they came Aaron came outside and talked to me. We had a good dialogue. We had a good dialogue. >> That's not what the lady on the phone said they put in the call about you. >> I can show you the video. Do you got with me? Do you got to see the video? >> No, I'd like to get your information so I could send you away. >> For reasonable articulable suspicion. >> I just did. I I gave you all the reasons reasonable suspicion we would need as a law enforcement officer. >> say when he get here. This is wow. >> Okay, well, I don't like your your movement, so I'm going to detain you. I don't I You're keep backing away from the car. You're being extremely suspicious. >> Why are you guys taking my camera? You guys want to stop my video? I'm not going anywhere. >> You can You can keep your little stick thing on there. But you keep backing up towards the road. Not all like that. >> I'm not going anywhere. >> And And the fact that you're refusing to to give us any sort of information We're just going to sit you on the curb, brother, and >> Reaching reaching into your pocket. >> Yeah, I I don't like all the jazz. >> Can I get my Can I Can I hold that blade? >> No. >> Okay. Over here at the car. >> Okay, I'll just put it on the hood. >> Yep. >> [snorts] >> They gave They said we can get the car towed out of here if we needed to. >> Come on, what would you >> He has too much, bro. >> What am I I mean, come on. I'm not Ain't nothing in my pocket. My portable charger. You pat me down. Come on, pat me down. I have nothing on me. I have my portable charger. >> With the man still in handcuffs and firmly denying every accusation, the tension seemed to have reached its breaking point. But just minutes later, the police chief arrived and the entire story took an unexpected turn. >> So, you were on the sidewalk during that point. I don't have to tell you that, but you were also in the grass area. >> No, I wasn't. I got it on We got cameras. No, I was never on the grass area. I know the law. This is what I do. I'm an independent journalist, sir. >> She talked to you while you while you were in the >> I wasn't in the grass. I'm on the sidewalk. >> Which is their Which is their property? Which I understand. >> You let me talk. >> But I am going to issue you a trespass warning. >> I was not on the grass, sir. You know the guy that knows the law. >> That's the captain, but he he uh probably tell you the same thing. >> And what's his name? >> Captain Clark. >> Captain Clark? >> Yes, sir. >> You want to talk? >> Uh only party saw talk to him on the grass which is their property. Yeah, he was on their property in the grassed area, again which is their property. I I don't know the full conversation because she had he she had it with Jed, but they asked him to leave. He's now refusing to give us his information and says they're unlawfully detaining him. >> Uh And what's the supervisor? >> How you doing, Captain Clark? >> Fine. How are you? >> How you doing? I'm okay. My name >> I'm an independent journalist. I'm gathering content for a story. That's it. He said, "Well, what's your story about?" I said, "I can't tell you." He said, "Why can't you tell me?" I said, "It'll compromise the story. It's not published yet." So, then the uh the black lady came out and she said, "Hey, you can't record the bank." I said, "Well, what would make you say that? I'm on I'm on the public sidewalk. She said, "You just can't record the bank." And then I just started pointing my camera towards the bank. I was standing there about me about 10-15 minutes. They never bothered me again. I said, "Okay, I'll give you guys a pass." I walked on. >> Walked over >> I walked over here. >> bank called >> Yes. >> I walked over here. I got everything on camera too. I can show you. >> All right. Well, I'll tell you what. They They called to say there's cameras everywhere here. So, you were you were you were The easement right there is a sidewalk, but the grassy area >> I was standing right there. >> belongs to the Okay. Well, here's here's here's the here's the thing. So, does the bank want to do anything? >> trespass >> They can't trespass. They don't own the sidewalk. I was on the sidewalk. >> As the chief's investigation came to a close, it was the officer's own internal conversations that began revealing troubling inconsistencies. The question now was impossible to ignore. Was the officer enforcing the law or trying to push beyond its limits? >> I talked to the bank manager. >> I talked to the lady at the bank. He was on the bank property. She asked him, "Hey, you can't record [music] here." He continued to do it. He stepped back onto the sidewalk. >> Huh. Hey, Deonna. >> Hey, Kelly. Hey, I I just want to put something on your radar. You're You're still here, aren't you? >> I am. >> Okay. Will you just be uh mindful of 357? That's actually up Comfort and and Chaz. They're out here in the new >> We need to get him ID'd for the uh trespass warning for the bank. He was on the property in the grass. >> the calling party. Her name is Ellen Davis. And she's still there. She works there, but she contacted him in the grass saying, "Hey, you can't record." >> Uh-huh. >> He said, "Okay, that's you know, that's fine." And then he said, "You can't tell me I can't record." >> He what? >> He said, "You can't tell me I can't record." And so >> All right. We'll catch you later. >> He stepped back onto the sidewalk. And so, they want to issue him a trespass warning because that was the one time. And so, they wanted they would like us to be able to issue him a trespass warning, but we need to get him identified. >> So was he ever warned not to be on the property beforehand? >> Not beforehand at that time. >> have no violation of law then, correct? >> Just a yeah, just a warning. >> So So you wouldn't ID himself? >> No. >> I mean, he didn't break a law. He he didn't have to ID himself. So it would be one thing if he went back up on there after he was warned. >> But if Okay. >> I mean, you can tell them, "Sorry, he didn't break the law. We can't just ID people cuz they want to give trespass warnings." >> Right. >> Yeah. >> With a single conclusion from the police chief, the entire basis that officers had relied on to justify detaining the man was suddenly turned upside down right there at the scene. >> You seem I'm going to be honest, bro. You seem well-versed in certain things, but not like everything. >> No, this is what I do. >> That's why >> I hear you. I believe you. I'm not arguing about that. >> talking about the First Amendment now, man. >> Well, he's talking about the First Amendment. >> I understand. >> Freedom of the press. Anything I see in public, I can record. Now, if you record somebody in public, they may be like, "Hey, I don't want you to record me. I didn't give you consent." I don't need consent in public in public. >> Well, I'm just asking out of curiosity then cuz I don't know the uh the um like the publisher's side of this. So when you No, well, hold on. So when you when you like when they have these I don't know, let's say Cops. You're watching Cops. >> Yeah. >> And then like there's people with blurred out faces. Don't they have to sign a consent? >> Not if you're in public. >> Well, I'm thinking like I'm just saying this scenario's in public. >> me give you a scenario. You at Disney World. You take your kids to Disneyland or whatever. You ready to take a picture. You going to make everybody in the back in the back in the background of your picture sign a >> Well, I mean, but that's not broadcasting it. I'm just asking cuz you're not broadcasting it on uh like public television, you know what I'm saying? Like that's like a personal use picture. Like yours is but I don't know what exactly you're doing, but >> Look at this. They taking cuffs off me. >> Yeah, I told you you were detained. >> Illegal. >> Now you're just being d- confrontational again, brother. >> Illegally cuffed. >> The long-running dispute finally came to an end. No charges, no violation. Yet what had just unfolded left behind serious questions about authority, accountability, and the proper application of the law. 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. A civilized society must place truth and human dignity above fear, prejudice, and power so that no one is treated like a criminal simply for standing up for their lawful rights. Hey everyone. What do you think about this situation? If you enjoyed the video, don't forget to like, subscribe, and support us with a donation. Thank you so much. >> [music]