Hi there, McKenna, Texas. I'm attorney Brandon Greybel. I represent James Springer. He also goes by James Freeman. And I'm actually making this video today. So, I'm glad you could join me because you owe him in 30 days 98,863.70 or we'll see you in federal court. Why? Well, you know that your police arrested him for telling an officer to shut up. >> Shut up. held him for 8 hours, never filed charges, and then coerced him into surrendering his constitutional rights to get his property back. In October 2025, many of you watched as Dean Riano with the Mckin, Texas Police Department arrested me for telling him to shut up. >> Tell me to shut up right now. I can take you to jail right there for that. Trying to deal with him and he come over here and tell me to shut up. My own call. Absolutely not. I can take you to jail just for that. Well, a few days ago, my attorney, Brandon Greyel, made a public demand to the McKenna Police Department for $98,863.70 to settle the dispute. But we did give them one other offer in case they didn't want to pay $1. But there is a condition. You have to change the name of your city from McKenna, Texas to James Freeman, Texas. And every time someone drives through your city, they'll see the sign, "Welcome to James Freeman, Texas." Every time someone searches for your city online, James Freeman, Texas. Every time your officers put on their uniforms, James Freeman Police Department. I see what he was doing here. >> The day that Brandon Greyel published this public demand, the Texas Municipal Police Association made this post. It reads, "Some people spend their lives auditing those who protect them instead of thanking them. While they film, criticize, and chase clicks, cops are out there chasing the ones who actually break the law. To all those who have been victimized by people with no life, we salute you. Stay strong. Auditors or agitators, keep hating. We'll keep protecting." Here's the backstory. Freeman's recording the traffic stop from a safe distance. The officer conducting the stop starts questioning him. Freeman tells him to shut up and then the officer tells him very clearly, "Let me give you one last time or I'll take you to jail for me. If I tell me to shut up right now, I can take you to jail right there for that. You're trying to deal with him and you come over here and tell me to shut up my own call." Absolutely not. I can take you to jail just for that. >> I can arrest you just for saying shut up during my traffic stop. An officer threatens very clearly that he can arrest Freeman for saying shut up during his stop. He didn't say he was going to arrest him for interfering. He didn't tell him to back up. He explicitly threatened arrest for the speech itself. Watch what happens next, though. >> Where do you want me? >> Over there on the sidewalk over there. Thank you, sir. I appreciate you. Following order. >> Freeman very clearly asks, "Where do you want me to stand?" The officer tells him, Freeman moves to that spot. And then what does your officer do? Thanks, Freeman, for following orders. The officer just threatened to arrest Freeman for saying, "Shut up." Freeman still complied. An officer acknowledged Freeman was following orders. The officer then walks to continue the traffic stop. Ticket in hand. The stop's wrapping up. Imagine this. The officer actually hands the ticket to the driver. The stop concludes. Lawful duties over. recording the interaction. Done. But that's not what happened. Freeman tells the officer a second time. >> Look how far away he is. >> The officer stops, turns around, stares Freeman down for several seconds. You can see him contemplating, "What am I going to do after this?" He gets into his vehicle, doesn't complete the stop. all so he can arrest Freeman. So, let me break this down. Did Freeman physically prevent the officer from completing the stop? No. Did Freeman touch him, block him, step in his way? No. Freeman was standing exactly where the officer told him to stand, following orders. The officer's own words. Thank you for following orders. Freeman spoke words. The officer was walking to complete the stop and the officer chose to stop what he was doing to retaliate. In retaliate he did. Freeman was arrested, handcuffed, items seized, taken away. And only after Freeman is placed in the back of the vehicle, handcuffed, does the officer finally hand the ticket to the driver and let him go. Freeman wasn't interfering. The officer's ego was interfering. The officer explicitly told Freeman he could arrest him for saying shut up during the stop. Freeman complied with the positioning anyway. And then Freeman exercised his First Amendment right again and told the officer again to shut up. Unfortunately, the officer made good on his threat. That's not law enforcement. That's retaliation for protected speech. And under Texas law, this isn't even a crime. Texas Penal Code section 3815 makes interference with police duties an offense. But subsection D says that it's a defense if the interference alleged consists of speech only. Speech only. And the fifth circuit has explained this in McCulla v. Wright. In order to violate the statute, interference must consist of more than speech alone. And then in Freeman verse Gore decided in 2007, the court held that even yelling and screaming at officers is protected speech. So what is interference that would be unlawful? Physical contact, physical obstruction. But arguing with cops, criticizing them, telling them to shut up, that's protected by the first amendment. And the Supreme Court has made this clear in city of Houston verse Hill. The Supreme Court said that the freedom of individuals to verbally oppose or challenge police action without risking arrest is one of the principal characteristics by which we distinguish a free nation from a police state. A free nation from a police state. Freeman was held for 8 hours then released. Zero charges. Why? probably because people who are smarter than those officers reviewed the circumstances and understood there was no probable cause. The officer literally told him on camera that he can arrest him for saying shut up. He was arresting him for speech. He said it out loud. So your officers arrested my client to punish him for criticism. Held him for eight hours to teach him a lesson. Then let him go. That's retaliation and that's a violation of clearly established constitutional law. Your officers are without qualified immunity. So again, here's the demand I'm authorized to make from Mr. Freeman. And this demand is made to you, the city council, police chief, and city manager. Pay James Freeman $98,863.70 within 30 days or we file in federal court. Hold on one second. This came from the front. >> Mr. Freeman has authorized me to make one other offer if uh if uh the city can't afford this. Huh. $1. Oh, wait. But there is a condition. You have to change the name of your city from McKenna, Texas to James Freeman, Texas. Think about it. Actually, that's not a bad idea. For just $1, you could resolve this dispute. No lawsuit, no federal court, no discovery, no depositions where your officers explain under oath why they arrested someone for hurt feelings. Just $1 in a name change. That's it. And every time someone drives through your city, they'll see the sign. Welcome to James Freeman, Texas. Every time someone searches for your city online, James Freeman, Texas. Every time your officers put on their uniforms, James Freeman Police Department. Uhhuh. I see what he was doing here. It's poetic, really. You tried to silence James. You arrested him for criticism. You retaliated against him for exercising his First Amendment rights. Now his name can be on your city forever. You cannot arrest people for criticizing you. You cannot retaliate against journalists for recording you. You cannot hold people's property hostage to coersse away their constitutional rights. And when you do these things, there have to be consequences. You didn't arrest James Freeman because he broke the law. No, you arrested him because he hurt an officer's ego. So, McKenna, in closing, you picked the wrong person to retaliate against. James Freeman has hundreds of thousands of subscribers. He's posted hundreds upon hundreds of videos observing government officials performing their duties or not performing their duties. He's not going away. His audience isn't going away and neither am I. So consider this a formal demand. You have 30 days to respond. $98,863.70. Or for $1, change the name of your city to James Freeman, Texas. There is of course an option three, not one I wouldn't mind either. We'll just see you in federal court. And of course in court, we'll be seeking damages and attorneys fees which will cost you significantly more than one day of your police budget. Know your rights. Hold them accountable. And maybe, just maybe, we'll get to visit James Freeman, Texas someday. >> The day that Brandon Greyel published this public demand, the Texas Municipal Police Association made this post. It reads, "Some people spend their lives auditing those who protect them instead of thanking them. While they film, criticize, and chase clicks, cops are out there chasing the ones who actually break the law. To all those who have been victimized by people with no life, we salute you. Stay strong. Auditors or agitators, keep hating. We'll keep protecting. # law enforcement #backtheblue # copscount #thinblue line # police support. That's right. This post claims that police are victims of people who film and criticize them. Could you imagine believing that you're a victim because somebody expressed a viewpoint different from your own? Could you imagine being an agent for the government in a free society and claiming that people agitate you when they criticize you in your official government capacity? And while it makes absolutely no logical sense, I decided to join them anyways and commented, "No agent of the government should ever have their authority or actions questioned or challenged. We the people are with you and we are sorry you're having to deal with this." They left their phone number on their Facebook page, so I called to find out how people like you and I can help police that have been victimized by criticism. >> I'm doing good. Thank you for asking. How about yourself? >> I'm doing good, thanks. You're with the Texas Municipal Police Association, right? Correct. >> I noticed a post on your guys's Facebook page that says that uh some people are spending their lives auditing those who protect them instead of thanking them and basically talking about people recording and criticizing the police instead of thanking them. And um it really broke my heart to see that your officers are having to deal with criticism and wondered what we the people might be able to do to help. Okay. So, you can actually email um info info tmpa.org >> and that's how we help u officers who are having to deal with criticism. >> Yes, they will. Yes, because there are um certain people on the info and I believe Tyler's on this one. He'll be the one to give you more information and how he can assist. >> Okay. There's not a phone number for him. Yeah. I just I can't believe that officers have to deal with criticism and it's just how unfair is that, you know? >> Yeah. Actually, I can transfer you to his mobile from what I see on here on my list. You want me to do that? >> Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And what's that? What's that number in case I get disconnected? >> Tyler with TMPA. If this is an emergency, please call 1 8008486088. You can also send me a text to this phone number or in a voicemail. God bless you as always and God bless Texas. Stay safe. >> At the tone, please record your message. When you have finished recording, you may hang up or press one for more options. >> Hey, Tyler. This is James. So, I saw a post on your guys's Facebook page talking about police officers uh having to deal with people recording them and even going so far as to criticize them. And uh as a member of the community, I just wanted to reach out and see what we as citizens could possibly do to help yourself or officers who are having to deal with uh criticism. Um, we're sorry that you you guys are having to go through this and having to deal with criticism. It's not right. And if you could please give me a call back, let me know what myself and others can do to help. And God bless you and