You came to ask me if I was staying here. Why are you talking about my license plate? >> Well, then you lied to me about it. >> It don't matter if I lied. I never said I lied. Who said I lied about anything? >> You did lie. >> I lied about what? >> What room you were staying in, that you were staying >> I didn't I didn't lie about nothing. >> So, what room are you staying >> I didn't lie about anything and I don't have to tell you that. That's not the case here. I'm not here causing a problem. >> Since you want to play it this way, we're going to tow your vehicle. I'm still going to get your information. >> You can't tow my vehicle, bro. >> I absolutely can. >> No, you can't. But, wait. What if I took But, wait. I wasn't driving. >> It doesn't matter if you're driving. >> It does matter. >> In this video, an officer approaches a man sitting in his car at a hotel after receiving a call about whether he was a guest. What starts as questions about his room quickly shifts into a dispute over his identity, expired license plates, and whether police can order him out of a parked vehicle. The man insists he has committed no crime and repeatedly refuses to identify himself or leave the car. As more officers arrive, the encounter escalates into a lengthy debate over Indiana law, police authority, and the limits of a citizen's rights. The officer eventually threatens to tow the vehicle while the man challenges nearly every legal claim being made. Watch how the man stands his ground as officers threaten to tow his car and pressure him to comply. >> What's going on, man? >> Okay. What I'm going to end up doing since you want to play it this way, we're going to tow your vehicle. I'm still going to get your information. >> You can't tow my vehicle, bro. >> I absolutely can. >> No, you can't. But, wait. What if I took But, wait. I wasn't driving. >> It doesn't matter if you're driving. >> It does matter. >> You've got expired plates. They look like they've been altered. The two doesn't look like It looks like it's been changed from a one to a two. >> All right. >> You're refusing to give me any identification. >> Because I didn't commit a crime, sir. >> detained. >> I didn't commit a crime. >> But, I'm here on an investigation. >> No one told me you would Like, dude, you You know the law, bro. >> I do know the law. That's why >> do nothing wrong. That's why I refuse to answer your questions. I don't have to. >> Well, >> And you know that. >> No, that's not true. >> That is true. That's very true. >> I didn't That's very true. You didn't stop me at all. >> No. >> I didn't have to even open the door to answer any of your questions. I didn't have to answer none of your questions. And I have a room there. I don't have to prove that to you. >> They said you don't >> It don't matter what they said. They didn't come and ask me if I was staying there. >> They're the ones that called me. >> I said they didn't come and ask me. >> They called me. >> You know the law. You didn't offer your You didn't tell your name. You didn't You know I didn't have to open to answer your question. Only did it because I thought you was going to be civilized and be like all right, he's >> I am being civil. >> But you're not. You're trying to tell me that you can tow my car because I didn't want to give you my name. I said 233. I did not say 232. >> Stop talking over me. I told you I could tow your car cuz it don't have legal plates on it. >> But if I'm driving, you know that though. And you know the rules. >> You don't have to be driving it. >> I do have to be driving for you to stop me and tell me that you're going to you can tow my car. >> That's not true at all. >> That's very true. And you know that. >> I can tow your vehicle cuz it's not plated legally. >> Man, you know the law. You know the law. You have a good day, sir. I'm done asking questions. Man, there's two of them. Damn, look at all these cops. I ain't answering no dough none of that [ __ ] bro. On God. Cuz I ain't did [ __ ] y'all me for no [ __ ] reason. I'm finna I'm about to record all this. These Hold on. Look at this. 1 2 3 4. They didn't pull up four cops cuz I'm staying at a hotel. >> [laughter] >> Hell no. 1 2 3 Oh, it's actually 1 2 3 4. It's five. Five of them. Cuz I'm standing at the wrong angle. He know he know damn well I ain't got to answer no questions. He know that already. Come on now. Don't try to play stupid, man. Can you not touch my door, sir, and close my door? Can you close my door? >> Hey, so >> Sir, can you close my door, sir? >> Real talk. Are you Are you from Indiana? Like do you know Indiana law? >> I know the law. Yes, I do. >> You know the law? >> And don't y'all know that I don't have to answer questions? That's what I was trying to tell him. I told him I was waiting on the phone call. My girl, we having an argument. I'm about to go in in a little bit to go to get some rest. I'm just chilling. >> Are you >> I ain't did nothing. There's no reason for y'all to have six cars out here, bro. >> So, I just got here, sir. I don't know what's going on. Are you Are you refusing to step out of the car just to talk to us? >> He never asked none of that. He asked me was I staying. He said he asked me what room. I told him. He came back and said confirmed the wrong room. I told him 233. He said 232. He come back and say, "You ain't in 232." I said, "Well, I ain't answering no more questions, man. I'm waiting on my phone call." That's why I'm sitting here. I got a phone call in 15 minutes that I'm waiting on. >> Okay. Well, we're from two different agencies. So, I don't know I don't know what's up. Is there a way you can step out so we can figure this out? >> No. Nope. I'm talking right here for my safety. I got beat up by the police before. >> I understand. >> And I don't want to give my name or nothing there. I ain't did nothing wrong. They didn't say I committed no crime. >> Right. I understand. Uh so, you don't have to have committed a crime, but if law enforcement asks you out of a vehicle >> Well, why do Why would you just randomly come and say ask me to get out of my car? >> So, I don't know what the circumstances of that is. Supreme Court says that I don't need a reason to ask you to step out of the car to talk to me. Doesn't mean that you've committed a crime, but you do have to legally step out to talk to me. For my safety, that's the law. If you don't, you could go to jail for resisting law enforcement. So, I mean, >> Resisting law enforcement, that would be when I'm getting arrested and I'm resisting. Not talking to y'all. I'm talking to you right now. We can I can perfectly That would be resisting. Resisting Resisting arrest would mean I would be getting arrested. But resisting to talk to you, step out my car is not resisting anything. >> arrest. I said resisting law enforcement. Not resisting >> What does that mean? I'm not resisting. I'm talking to you right now. >> If If you're asked to step out of the vehicle, even if no criminal activity's taken place, right? Say there's suspicion of criminal activity, I don't know. >> Well, you >> Doesn't mean that you've committed a crime. But if you refuse to step out of the vehicle, you could be charged with resisting law enforcement, which is an arrestable offense. You can go to jail for it. So I'm saying to avoid all of that complication you step out and help us figure out what's going on. I didn't say you did anything wrong. I just got here. But I'm just trying to keep this as cool as we can and make sure that you're aware of what consequences are and we don't want to have to go there. Not saying that those are consequences for you now. I'm saying those are potential if this continues. You know what I mean? >> So I'm trying to keep it so that there are no consequences. >> all these people recording. But yeah, man, it's all good. I was just I'm waiting on the phone call, bro. I ain't >> Can you step out so we can figure out what's >> I just want to sit in here like I was. >> I get it. >> And I don't want to I just said though >> I heard what you said. I don't want to step out because I didn't I'm talking I'm waiting on the phone. I'm talking to you comfortably and safely from here. And then And And not only that, it's six of you guys, if not more. >> What room did you say you were in, sir? >> You understand what I'm saying? >> You said 233. Are you in 233? >> That's what the room I'm waiting on the phone call for, bro. >> So you lying again. Lying again. There is >> I ain't I never answered your question, first off. But you see why I want to stay in though cuz he's acting as if I committed a crime or something. >> Right. So I I think what the issue is here is that because because you wouldn't come out and talk, I think that that kind of raises our risk a little bit and that's why >> Nah, it's it's many of you guys. Y'all got guns. I'mma to them lower it. I have no weapon. You can't You don't You guys have weapons >> What would help us lower it? Can you step out of the car and we can talk about it? It don't mean we're searching your car. >> I I didn't say you were. I'm I just feel safer in the car. I mean, this is good enough. You got the door open and you opened it without my consent, but >> The The plates aren't legal on this vehicle anyway. It shows that the plates that belong on here expired in 2020. So, it's illegally plated. We're going to tow the vehicle. So, you're going to have to get out. So, that's the decision that's being made. >> You can't tow my vehicle, bro. >> Yes, you can. >> If you didn't pull me over, you know that. >> No, that's that's not the >> You can't just randomly come in somebody and how you know this even my vehicle? Like, I could be just sitting in here. >> matter what >> I could have walked right out of there. You can't just come and walk up and say, "Because you don't want to give me your identification." Or you didn't even ask for it. I don't even know what is this about. What's the purpose of you even sitting around my place? >> I have a >> You came to ask me if I was staying here. Why are you talking about my license plate? >> But then you lied to me about it. >> It don't matter if I lied. I've never said I lied. Who said I lied about anything? >> You did lie. >> I lied about what? >> What room you were staying in, that you were staying >> I didn't I didn't lie about nothing. >> So, what room are you staying >> I didn't lie about anything and I don't have to tell you that. That's not the case here. I'm not here causing a problem. I'm not here They said they called you because they thought I wasn't staying here. They talked to me four or five hours ago before check-in time. It's It's not against the law for me to sit in the vehicle and talk on the phone. Just because they thought I wasn't staying here. So, all of this is irrelevant. No, it very is. >> Oh, man. >> It very so much is. >> It's not. >> You didn't catch me on the on the side of the road not pulled over here and you say, "Oh, I'm pulling you over in in your driveway and your plate." You didn't do any of that. You came over here because you thought I wasn't staying in the room. How does not staying in a >> We got called here. >> He got called here, not you. But he know He knows the law. He knows what I'm saying. >> Yeah. I got the feeling this guy is inside. See and that's what it is. You think you got a feeling. And you can and that's how people get that's how a lot of people get in lawsuits. Because you have a feeling. I'm a army veteran and I'm I'm serving the country just like y'all doing. So don't don't don't think that I don't know the law because you think I don't know the law. >> know you can't be put in possession of a vehicle with bad plates on it out if it's not on your property. >> Lord have mercy. This guy. Yeah, 8 minutes and 59 seconds. Police >> All right. What What is your name? Just cuz I'm not asking for your your all your ID and stuff. I just I just want to be able to address you correctly while we're talking. >> Mhm. >> What's your What's your name? >> Just good citizen, man. I'm a great citizen actually. Outstanding citizen. >> Okay, well my name's John. >> I get it, John. >> Can I get your first name at least so we can talk? >> We talking now, John? >> That's fine. This is what I want to try to avoid for you, okay? >> Yeah. >> I understand that obviously you don't you don't have a ton of trust in us and I get that. That's fine. But I want to try to explain a little a little bit of >> Can you close that door? >> Can I close it? Are you going to sit out talk to me so we can have a >> I'm going to open this one and I'm going to just sit down cuz I'm I'm feeling sick. I'm going to just sit here. >> That's fine. So what I'm trying >> But I am recording just like you guys. >> What I'm trying to get across to you is that I'm trying to share some of what Indiana's law is and kind of how we operate because I don't want to see you catch a charge and get in trouble for something that's probably pretty petty, right? Um so I'm I'm trying to give you this information so that you can make a good decision with us. I don't want to grab you and pull you out of the car or do any of that I don't want to do any of that. >> All right, cuz I don't deserve that, man. >> No, and I don't think you do either. But you got to understand eventually it's going to come if you don't work with us a little bit. And I want to tell you this, too. That's not the way I want it to go, but it's legal. It's legit. So, we don't want to do all that, you know, at this point with everything that's going on no one said you've committed a crime. >> I know. >> But, by law you're you're forced at this time to ID, you're forced at this time to get out of the car, all this stuff that I'm not trying to force on you because I don't want to make this a bigger thing than it is, but by law we could go there. We could do all that. So, if you're cool with kind of cooperating with that and we don't have to we don't have to grab you, we don't have to, you know, give me your ID, all this other stuff. >> Right, right, right. >> That's that's probably a better way to go about it cuz >> Let me give y'all this so y'all can go on and I can get on about my day, man, cuz >> That's legit. >> That's all we want. Lord have mercy. >> Are you Devin? >> How would you even know that anyway? >> I'm just asking. >> How would you know that? >> This encounter highlights the importance of understanding the limits of police authority and knowing the difference between a voluntary encounter and a situation where an officer has lawful grounds to detain someone. Throughout the interaction, the man repeatedly asserted that he had committed no crime, declined to answer questions, and challenged the officers' demands instead of simply complying. As the encounter progressed, the officers shifted their focus from questions about the hotel to the vehicle's license plates, and eventually threatened to tow the car while repeatedly ordering him to step out. The video also demonstrates why citizens should understand their constitutional rights before interacting with law enforcement. Knowing when you can remain silent, when you must comply with lawful orders, and what authority officers do or do not have can make a significant difference during any police encounter, whether dealing with questions about your identity, your vehicle, or your presence on private property. Understanding your rights helps you make informed decisions instead of relying on assumptions made during a tense encounter.