I just want to see if you Let me see your ID and you can be on your way. I just want to see if you Y'all said you were reporters over there. >> I don't have to show any credentials unless I'm suspected of a crime. Can we help you guys? Yeah, we were just out filming. Filming? You guys are in a restricted area. Okay, we looked for a sign. There's two signs out over there. Where's the sign? We came in that way. >> All right. So, if you guys come that way and you guys got IDs on you? No, I don't have any ID. >> No IDs at all? All right. No crime, no accusation, yet they still demand ID. When the law is misunderstood, everything starts to become dangerous. I'm asking you for your ID. Okay, do you suspect me of a crime? We are doing an investigation. They think it's just an ID check, but in reality, it could be the beginning of a serious legal problem. A cameraman is filming at a government facility in Alabama. The moment recording begins, a group of strangers quickly approaches. What starts as a few simple questions rapidly escalates into a tense, suffocating atmosphere. What the [ __ ] What? I don't think so. Y'all said y'all Who y'all with? Excuse me? Who you with? Not with anybody. Y'all weren't the two that just come from our building over there? Possibly. Well, you said you was with the media over there. Yeah. Why does it matter? Well, I'm just concerned why would you want to walk around and video? Yeah. Is that illegal or something? >> over here. Hey, come back over here, man. Sir? Sir? Are you detaining >> I'm talking to you. I don't care talking. Am I being detained? It's not consensual. Well. You got any ID on you? If you suspect >> want to see if you Let me see your ID and you can be on your way. I just want to see if you Y'all said you were reporters over there. >> Yeah, I'm with the media. Well, let me see your your credential. I don't have to show any credentials unless I'm suspected of a crime. Well, right now we have something coming up and we are I'm asking you for your ID. Okay, do you suspect me of a crime? We are doing an investigation. Is it an investigation of of a crime? >> Show me your ID. I don't have ID on me. >> You don't have any ID on you? No. I'm not required to. 15-5-30. You want to play some It's fine. You want to play. That's fine. That's the law. >> You're okay. No. We have something we have concerns about. You're walking around videoing our administrative structures. >> Yeah. Absolutely. And we have events coming up. I'm happy for you. Well. I'm I'm really happy for you. A lot of places have canceled their events. They haven't here. Oh, well, that's nice. >> That's why we That's why we're checking. Okay. Well, I mean if I'm if I'm doing something illegal, let me know and I'll I'll provide you with my ID. Okay, you're doing something illegal right now by photographing government buildings. From the public sidewalk? No, you went up to our door. You went up to our building on our property. >> It's public property. You're absolutely 100% right. That's why I'm asking for your ID cuz you came in a government building. In just a few minutes, what seemed like a normal exchange began to grow tense. As questions about rights were raised, the situation suddenly took a turn no one expected. These are the two? They don't seem to want to show ID. I told them show your ID and you can be on your way. Show it, you can be on your way. 15-5-30 says unless you suspect us of committing a crime, have committed a crime, or about to commit a crime. That's the law. We're law enforcement here, right? You guys are law enforcement? Everybody's got a badge. Sheriff, sheriff, we're all law enforcement. Law states 15-5-30. We're not trying to harass. Okay? >> I told you why we were stopping. Yeah, we talked We talked to five, six, 20 deputies all day today. >> have an issue coming up. What issue? >> In the Well, we have protests coming up. Oh, well. And they're they're possibly They've been very well going to be peaceful, but we've had some issues with the last one. We're just concerned about you videoing our places, our government buildings. >> Well, absolutely. No, you have every right to to be concerned, but it's illegal to detain somebody. >> illegal to detain on an investigation. No, it's not. >> But you You came in our building wanting to video. You went to our administration building wanting to video. And one of y'all have gone to the DHR wanting to video. >> No, we were both there. These are government structures and right now with everything going on, we're concerned about the government structures. >> know what the constitutional importance of the freedom of the press is? You haven't showed me nothing showing you're the press. Do you know that >> your ID that you're the press and I told you you could go. Did you know that the Supreme Court has stated that anybody with a camera phone is considered the press? No? Let me ask you this. You sit here and play and you're telling me stuff. No. It's very simple. You said you were the media. Show me your press credential and you can go. Who issues press credentials? You're the one that said Where Where'd y'all say you were from? I'm from Florida. What part? Central. No, that's not what you said over there. It doesn't stop there. The pressure at the scene continues to build as more people get involved. And at this point, the investigation seems to be heading in a completely different direction, leaving anyone watching to wonder, is this really following proper procedure or has it crossed the line? Show me your credential and you can be on your way easy. Bolt Action News Group. Bolt Action News Group. I don't The last The last time the government licensed journalists was 1662 in the Licensing Act of England, okay? Press doesn't need a license. Is that really the sheriff? That is the sheriff. I don't Wow. Wow. Yeah. He's a really good guy. He cares a lot. Well, I I don't I don't I trying to make things better here. I understand, but I mean I bet you guys think that the press needs credentials, right? Ain't that what you think? No one No one can be press. I didn't ask you that. I asked you if you had ID cuz Alabama state law requires that all staff have IDs. Yes, 15-5-30. Please please take your hands out of your pockets. Thank you. That's not a Can you back up from me 6 ft for coronavirus? Thank you. So, you guys investigate non-crimes and detain people for non-crimes? Is that Alabama law here? You said you were investigating. >> in in certain suspicious circumstances. Is it Do you guys investigate crimes or non-crimes? We investigate all suspicious circumstances Is it suspicious? Is that a crime? No, we investigate Okay. So, you just stop people that look suspicious? I didn't say that. Why are we being stopped? The sheriff detained you because you were on government property filming. Isn't government property public property? Or did Donald Donald Trump buy up the government down here or something? Last I checked, government property is public property. It's open to the public except for restricted areas, right? As the [snorts] investigation continues without any clear answers, the situation begins to show even more troubling signs. The number of officers keeps growing while the core question remains unresolved. And at that moment, an unexpected development emerges, pushing the entire situation in a far more unpredictable direction. The sheriff said you were good where you're at. Am I free to walk? To go wherever I want? Or am I being detained? You're not leaving. I'm being detained. Okay. What was your name, sir? My name is Investigator Griffin. Investigator Griffin with the state police? Do you have a badge number or ID number? Are you the only Griffin in the state police? Do you have a badge or ID number? No? Oh, sorry. Can I get my lighter out of my pocket to light my cigar? Is that illegal? Huh? I don't know what's in your pocket, so I really prefer you not go in your pocket. All right. All right. How's the weather in Alabama? It was actually raining when I left this morning, pretty heavily. It rained a little bit. Yeah. It's a you know, the rainy season down there, so. Monsoon just about every day, usually around 4:00, but I think it's going to stick around for a couple days this week. Yeah. Well, we were up in Chicago for the quarantine and it was snowing up there, so. Yeah, I'll take the rain any day. Yeah. How many guys does it take to do an investigation? Oh, it's a dozen. After everything that's happened, the picture at the scene seems clearer, but it also reveals several troubling inconsistencies. And just as things appear to settle down, a new development begins to unfold, opening an entirely different direction for the story. Look crowd, guys. Look at all these investigators. They They're really they're really on the investigation tip here in town. No no crime on Dauphin. It's a party. It's a party. Don't forget to frame that. All right, man. Sounds good. We'll let you know. taxi This guy just came up and cracked a case with his phone. He must be Matlock. He's pretty comical. I I give him that much. Uh I do stand-up comedy sometimes. >> See? Yeah, I do. I think he might make it in the business. I don't mind being recorded. I'm recorded by the audio guy over there. Yeah. Uh it's unfortunately in Alabama none of that is available to me, so I record my own. We're working on those public record laws though here. And anything generated in the course of a duty by a public official should be to the public record. All right, man. Ho- hold on. Lead investigator's coming now. Driving on the wrong side of the road. Oh my god. God knowing was coming. Is this a non-custodial interview, I think it's called? When the line between law enforcement duties and citizens' rights becomes blurred, every action can lead to consequences no one anticipates. And perhaps this story will be told again, just in a different way. Up next, what seemed like a routine filming session at the sheriff's office. But from the very first moments, the evasive behavior and unusual silence made everything feel suspicious. So we got a sheriff's barbecue going on. But I asked him if they were cooking ribs and he just said no, so he doesn't want to share what they're cooking. Indicated to go to the PIO tell us all the questions we need answered. So this guy that doesn't want to tell me what they're cooking is on the phone now. From what seemed like simple questions, the silence and evasiveness began to make the situation more confusing. As the cameraman moved deeper into the area, what happened next would either bring clarity or spark even more controversy. How you doing? Good, man. You? I'm good. Pretty nice day out today. It is. What you doing? Looking for speeders? Hanging out. Just hanging out on taxpayers' money? You're not working? What's it look like? Well, I know. You said hanging out. I go, you looking for speeders? You're not traffic, are you? No. All right. Okay, man. Stay safe. You too. He's just hanging out, he says. On taxpayer money? Yeah. 40137 What you doing? Oh, just taking a break right now. Oh, a break? Yeah. I asked the other officer up there what he was doing. He says just hanging out. And I'm thinking that's a weird answer on taxpayers' dollars, just hanging out. Wasn't probably the right answer. I I go, are you here for traffic or he wouldn't he wouldn't answer. Oh, yeah. Well, no. I just booked someone into our county. >> Yeah, he was the police. Okay. Yeah, he's he's not doing anything for this facility. So what do you do? You patrol in the car? Yes. Yes, I'm on patrol. A patrol, huh? It doesn't get too boring? I love it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, keep everybody in line. Don't hurt them. I know. I'm here to help you. That's what I'm here to do. All right. Well, you guys have a good day. >> You do the same. Have a good one. You got a nice smile. Oh, thank you. I appreciate it. Be safe, okay? Thank you. What seemed like casual exchanges gradually began to reveal an unclear picture of what was really happening behind the scenes. As more questions were asked, the responses from the other side only made things more confusing. And then, just minutes later, the situation suddenly shifted, pushing the entire story into a completely different phase. Ask you? No, I I'm on the cell phone. They're on the phone right now. They're talking They're trying to figure it out. Good, man. Who are you guys with? We're with ourselves. Okay, this is a restricted area back here, guys. Where Where is the sign? What was that? Where is the sign? >> There's a sign as as you're coming in along the street here. There's a sign that says restricted personnel beyond this point. >> Where was that? Here? On the Yes, on Matches King's Boulevard. Cuz I have the My sergeant wants to talk to you right here, okay, guys? Sure. Okay. Appreciate it. Can we help you guys? Yeah, we were just out filming. Filming? You guys are in a restricted area. Okay, we looked for a sign. There's two signs out over there. Where is the sign? We came in that way. All right. How else could you come that way? You guys got IDs on you? No, I don't have any ID. No IDs at all? No. All right. So the signs are We walked there through there. There's signs on the roadway back here. We can walk over Okay, we can walk over there and show you. You guys are more You're more than welcome, but you just can't do it back here. Right, right. I understand. Had I seen it, I wouldn't have come in cuz I didn't expect this. >> see where the See where the mound is right there, where the bushes are right there? Where what? Where the bushes are right here. Right. >> about perpendicular to that on the roadway over here. So if you come out on the other side of the hill right You're You're good over there. Okay? But back here where the patrol units are, it's a restricted area, okay? So we came in through there, the front, and we walked down the side, and there's no signs there. So we wouldn't know. >> correct. There are no signs there. No, you're not in any kind of trouble. We're advising you at this point. There are signs >> you advising us. All right. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Before you go, we're going to get you guys' information. No, you're advising us. You You guys are in a restricted area, so I'm telling you. So we're going to go ahead and get your information, all right? Well, I I don't have ID. I'm not going to ID. You told me that we're not in trouble. >> Yeah, you didn't do anything wrong. You didn't do anything You just acknowledged that. >> We're telling you guys you need to go on the other side. Yeah, we're doing that. Yeah, we're doing that. Thank you. Thank you, guys. Thanks, guys. See you. As the situation becomes clearer, what just happened begins to reveal a completely different perspective. What seemed like a simple misunderstanding now raises deeper questions about how everything was handled. You need to go back the way you guys came. Okay. Well, back the way we came was through here. All right. We're going to walk you guys out. >> There's a sidewalk here. You guys can take that. Good deal. Okay. What's your name and badge number? My name is Sergeant Smith. Sergeant Smith? Yeah. Going down the street here. Theodore. Your officer who? Theodore. And your officer? Burke. Burke. Okay. And your officer? I did my background check. Deputy Cashu. All right, guys. Thank you very much. >> gentlemen. So there you go. Had he not said we're not in trouble and didn't do anything wrong, and they're just advising us, he opened up that window for us not to have to ID, although the sergeant wanted us to ID. He didn't tattle tale on us, did you? Have a good day today? Yeah, good. You Why Why'd you have to >> very good day [laughter] today. Have a good day. How come you tattle tailed? Huh? That's unbecoming of you, sir. A situation that seemed very simple, yet it reveals many things worth reflecting on. When and line between rules and how they're applied isn't clear, everything can take completely [music] different directions. Citizens may file a lawsuit against police under Section 1983 if their rights are violated. Officers who violate those rights could [music] face financial liability and may also be subject to discipline or termination. Society is truly fair only when power is used properly and every citizen clearly understands their rights. Hey everyone, what do you think about this situation? >> [music] >> If you enjoyed the video, don't forget to like, subscribe, and support us with a donation. Thank you so much. >> [music]