You can't video tape in here because law, by law, you guys both should know law. I can video tape anywhere in public, especially a publicly paid building that we pay for. >> This does Some people aren't comfortable being video taped. >> Well, >> It's different than a a >> That's feelings. That's that's feelings. You guys don't You guys don't You guys aren't law enforcement feeling cops. You're >> Police approached a man filming inside a public library after library staff complained about his recording. Despite not causing a disturbance, disrupting library operations, or being accused of violating any criminal law, officers intervened based solely on the library's internal policies. As the man calmly distinguished policy from law, questioned the legal basis for the police intervention, and pointed out that subjective discomfort does not amount to criminal conduct, the officers began to struggle to justify their actions. Watch as he uses his knowledge to defend his right to record, expose the limits of police authority, and turn the encounter into a lesson on transparency, accountability, and civil liberties in public spaces. >> Can we get out of here? I want to video tape anybody coming in here. Pardon? >> I said now you're wanting to follow the rules. >> What rules? >> The rules I was saying there to stop following people. >> You know the our constitutional rights, right? Any publicly paid place I can video tape. I'm doing this for education. I'll tell I'll tell you what my purpose is, okay? >> Yeah, they said you were on a project, so what's your project? >> Okay, my purpose is I want to show people what is available at the public library that the tax people tax people pay for, and that we can video tape any of our public buildings inside or outside. That's why I was video taping in there. >> So, the the issue isn't that you're filming in there, it's the issue that you're filming of the people in >> It's all my right. I can publicly film anybody that works in public. Like, I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm not doing anything illegal. Like, not here causing a disturbance. I just I do publications, and I just want to show people that when they come to this library that's tax paid for by us, you can't video tape in here because law, by law, you guys both should know law. I can videotape anywhere in public, especially a publicly paid building that we pay for. >> This is Some people aren't comfortable being videotaped. >> Well, that's feelings. That's That's feelings. You guys don't You guys don't You guys aren't law enforcement feeling cops. You're But I'm doing something legally that I'm allowed to do. Like it makes no sense. >> We don't have an issue with you filming. We have an issue with you filming other people and giving >> I don't I won't film people coming and going. There's no expectation of privacy in a building that you work in. I know the law. >> You're filming everything going inside. Why are you filming me and everything that's in >> I'm not There you go again. >> still running. It's running, so you're filming everybody that's >> No, when someone When someone comes by, I I make it I make sure I don't film my point it away. I just point it away, so I don't film them. But if somebody comes up and talks to me like the Pardon? >> When you're aimlessly filming, >> Yeah. >> you're filming people that aren't consenting to be filmed. >> I purposely don't film them. If I see somebody coming, I make sure they're not in front of my camera. I have it all on video. >> You have it continuously running. >> Yeah. >> You want to get people that aren't consenting to be videotaped. Do you not Do you not agree with >> Yes, I agree with that. And if somebody happens to go by my camera when I'm videotaping something, there's no Like you can videotape anybody in public. Like I'm not going up to people and harassing anybody. There's no expectation of privacy in public. You guys know this. >> are you doing that? You don't have to >> For I don't want attention. I didn't want to even talk to anybody in there. I didn't want you guys to come here. I don't want attention. I don't do it for attention. I do it for education purposes, so people will know what the building is used for. >> So, who are you educating? >> I'm educating thousands of people every day. >> What are you educating on the inside of the public library? What are you >> I'm educating that Well, first when I come in, it's it's a wheelchair accessible, cuz some of libraries aren't. Like when Show them how many How many computers are in there? So, people can come and use computers. Public washrooms, that's what I was asking that first lady that was very nice to me, about the to washrooms and all that. I asked what was here, what was available for the public. >> For what purpose and what? Why wouldn't you touch base with somebody that lives here to to arrange for for that to be done? >> Because when I do this, I don't want to engage myself with the workers because they always this is our policy. You can't I'm not here to talk to anybody. I'm here to video tape the building, get it out there in public, what the building offers. That's it. >> But they might be able to facilitate it so that it's a little bit more controllable. >> I don't need them to facilitate it. Video tape it in public. I wish they wouldn't have called you guys. That's a waste of resources calling you guys because they're not educated. This is why I'm doing it. Maybe if you guys went there and educate them, this won't happen. If somebody else gets in there, you won't have to come over and waste a resource come to talk to somebody like me that's putting education out there. >> Why do you need to record continuously record everybody in every >> I record Well, I record the cops because I honestly don't trust the cops. I've been through so much with you guys. Not you guys personally, but the cops I told you my purpose. Isn't that important to get out in the public what the the public library? >> What's that? >> I didn't know that which was the whole point of my call. >> I told them what my purpose was. That's all they had to do when they called you guys. They knew what my purpose was cuz I told them, right? And you get a call, you just say oh, they're video taping public. That's good. Unless they do something criminal, we're not going to come and waste our time. >> But people also have to feel safe. Do you not agree that people have to feel safe in public? >> Definitely. Definitely. Definitely. >> So I already told you that a lot of people feel uncomfortable when they're being >> Yeah, a lot of people I agree with you. A lot of people do feel uncomfortable when they're being video taped. >> supersedes their right to feel comfortable in public place. >> Well, you guys aren't here to enforce if they're comfortable or not. They have to know the law. >> I'm not enforcing the law. I'm [laughter] just having a discussion. >> Yeah, I am too. >> You're going to film everybody. And I'm saying that people have a right to feel comfortable in public. >> I didn't come here to film everybody. That's the third time I said that. I didn't come You keep saying I come here to film people. I didn't come here to film people. >> continuously streaming. Do you agree to that, though, >> Yes, it's continuously going. >> are catching people sometimes. >> I understand if I understand. I absolutely understand if they get nervous if they see a guy with a camera, don't know what he's doing. I couldn't I couldn't agree more with that. >> the education that you're providing on the inside of the library is supersedes their wanting to be comfortable inside of public library. >> In time, yes, it will. In time. >> Okay, but I'm thinking today is not that day. >> Well, no, today is not that day, but today is a definitely a start for what people are doing out here public filming when we have every right to do it. >> I know that I know from my experience that people don't feel comfortable being videotaped by somebody that they don't know. >> No. No, probably they don't. >> has the right to be browsing inside a public library and walk wherever they want in a public library and not be videotaped. >> because they're not used to seeing it. And that's what I'm saying, like more and more people are going to be doing this. More and more >> think that everybody in public should be videotaped at all times? >> No, I don't go out to videotape people in public. I videotape buildings. >> like you, then everybody's going to be videotaping everybody in public places. >> Well, that's that's hearsay. I can't help what anybody else does. That's hearsay. I can tell you what I do. That's all I can tell you. I can't assume what people what because I'm here doing it? >> You literally said that's what you want. >> Yes, I do. >> For people more people are going to do it. >> More people are going to do it? I didn't I didn't say video people. I said that more and more people are going to get out there to educate you guys, plus the public employees that we pay for and these buildings, okay?