being detained for I'm investigating that's not a crime what crime investigating the ground so I'm asking you have you been drinking now I'm detaining you because I'm going to make sure you're not intoxicated in public okay what is your name and badge number officer I told you you give me your name I'll give you mine is that what you tell the judge when he asks a photographer visited a post office to take pictures and obtain a passport application as part of a personal project under the Department of Homeland Securities 2010 memo recording Federal installations is a legally protected activity despite following all legal guidelines a misunderstanding arose when a postal employee falsely claimed that recording Federal property was prohibited the employee called the police escalating the situation unnecessarily am I being detained I want to stop and talk to you pictures vehicles are you look Vehicles just at the moment you are being detained find out what's going on for Crime we looking at vehicles I need to find out who you are for what crime what you're doing what crime am I being detained for investigating that's not a crime what crime investigating ma'am what crime no ma'am what crime what crime am I being uh suspected of there right now I don't know exactly so there's no reason to vehicles and you're taking pictures and you're inside taking pictures of all all legal activities ma'am what's up they're all legal activities can I ask why uh let me just let me talk to you for what's your first name tell me that I'd rather not give that up just that's fine to you're making everybody in there very uncomfortable you going in there taking pictures of them I I didn't go in there to take pictures of them I went in there just to get pictures of the inside of the post office and I grabbed a passport application while I was in there okay why are you taking pictures of the inside of the post office it's part of what I'm working on okay can you is that yeah right now it is I'm working on a story on the post office it'll be online and Liv I'm hoping in about a week whoever picks it up you can just Google clar more post office and it'll come up that's fair but making everybody really uncomfortable and now you're not wanting to talk to me they're telling me you're looking in cars so I'm going to find out what's going on I have a reason to find going to tell you that so so they can get you out here I've never been looking in any car good then you can be on your way and do what you're doing but I have a job to do it's not to give you a hard time I also have a job to do and I have things to do I don't have time to waste around here I all my last passing and I'm out I've already explained to them what I'm doing okay you explain to who I did not three different people okay who are the three people I don't know who they are I didn't know one name one lady said her name was Trish I'm on the way we it's the post office calling they have an issue with you I understand that but reason to be here I don't care about their issue this is a First Amendment protected activity if they're uneasy I'm sorry I told them what I was doing okay it doesn't get any simp when you walk away from me you don't want to talk to me I'm here for a valid reason I'm here for a legal reason I'm not trying to be I know I'm trying I'm not trying to be rude but I don't have to talk to you ma'am and I don't want to I have for a complaint and you were in there and they told me were you the one that was in there yes I went inside that doesn't matter it's it's a public place it's perfectly legal and so you're okay with the fact that everybody you made everybody very uncomfortable I don't yeah actually I am because I told them there's nothing nefarious going on it doesn't matter okay there's now how am I supposed to know that now just look at it from my point of view I'm out here I get a call about a guy and it's okay that you're recording that's fine that happens to us all the I'm recording to so we're good to go right okay but I get a call about a guy who's in the post office taking a picture who's out in the parking lot taking pictures and is looking in cars uh well that's here say I was not looking in any Vehicles okay okay I wasn't even close enough to look that I know that when I get here you walk away from me you don't want to talk to me you don't want to tell me who you are makes me very suspicious of you okay well I'm sorry okay I need to see some ID from you no ma'am this is not a stop an ID state am I free to go no you are not I told you I'm detaining until I find out what's going on okay but you didn't tell me what crime what crime do you suspect me of that's what I'm trying to find out if you're looking in cars that makes me very suspicious you in order to detain somebody you have to have reasonable articulable suspicion that a crime has been committed soon as R gets here we'll talk to the post office the who complained will'll find out their side of the story as well there is until I find out what's going on I'm I'm doing an investigation now and and and you're staying put and what is your name and badge number you give me your name I'll give you mine no ma'am iore police I understand that I'm I'm not a public official you are Duty bound to to am I identify yourself you are so what is your name and badge number what is your name and badge number I work for Clore police okay and you are and you are officer who three police cars arrived to confront the photographer despite no law being broken according to us ps's poster 7 photography is allowed in public areas of postal facilities as long as it does not disrupt operations officers attempted to question the photographer citing irrelevant suspicions like the presence of an empty bottle nearby their actions demonstrated a lack of training and a disregard for federal guidelines as they detained the individual without legal cause okay if you're not going to identify yourself to me then then what then you're not going to detain me and I'm going to be on my way because you're not an officer in my eyes I'm on the north side of office so what is your name and badge number and what crime do you suspect me of committing I'm investigating what you were doing that's not a crime what crime do you suspect me of committing go round and round but okay well what is your name and B number to the other part of this I don't have to stay here what's going on you are going to stay here I don't know what's going on do matter you have complaints that you're looking in vehicles now I get here and you're on the sidewalk and you're taking pictures and you're recording and I'm good with that I don't care you tell issue is you were in there that doesn't matter if you don't care then why won't you tell me what your name and badge number is no I care because you were in there causing a disturbance I wasn't causing a disturbance you were because they called that not my problem it it is now because you're here how we doing sir oh I've had better days you what's going on ask her she thinks she's going to me you are staying here I told you you're not anyway what crime do you suspect me of committing you were it was you have to there is no disturbance you have to articulate a crime what is her name and badge number she's refused to give it to me what is what why are we here I'm taking pictures that's it okay why are we taking pictures I'm working on a story on the post office okay or where's your firearm at it makes you think I'm carrying because you have holster on your back it's empty okay well I'm asking is it on your person no sir okay all right do you have any ID on you no sir okay what's your name partner I'm not going to give it okay am I free to go no not right yet what crime do you suspect me of committing okay well I'm trying to figure that out complaints you have to have reasonable articulable suspicions sir gave you that you are inside taking pictures you're looking in cars and you're taking pictures of the I'm not looking in cars and there's no proof of that the officers demanded identification from the photographer and detained him without any clear evidence of wrongdoing the fourth amendment protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures yet the officers continued to press for personal information despite the photographer explaining his lawful activity they seemed more focused on asserting control than addressing the misunderstanding at hand it doesn't matter I can take pictures of everything that there is no proof of that you will be free to leave okay what is your name and badge number officer I told you you give me your name I'll give you mine is that what you tell the judge when he asks what is your name in badge number ma'am keep smking this is going to be very bad for your post for your uh Department what is your uh I'm Sergeant books with the Clore Police Department thank you sir all right what is your name and badge number ma'am you the information no he didn't give me yours I want the names and badge numbers of everybody on this [Music] call been Dr not have what is her name and badge number sir have you been drinking this afternoon have you what is her name and badge number but I see an alcohol bottle laying right here on the ground so I'm asking you have you been drinking pick it up fingerprint it what uh I am asking you a question and I'm refusing to answer what is your name in bad or what is her name and now I'm detaining you because I'm going to make sure you're not intoxicated in public what a bunch of [ __ ] what is what is your name and badge number I believe I already told you that what is her name and badge number I'm I'm talking to you right now all right I'm claming up what what is your name and bad number you haven't been drinking I want to make sure you haven't been drinking uh please give me a little space come here come here I'm creating I'm going to check your eyes to make sure that you haven't been drinking no sir you're not yes sir I am no sir you're not yes sir I am no you're not do me a favor keep that right there I don't care keep that right there see the tip of this pin how much you had to drink today how much have you had to drink today I don't drink see the tip of this pin I want to make sure that you're safe to do this I don't consent to field toiy test especially when there's [ __ ] no where you're standing there's an alcohol bottle when she stopped me I was down there whenever I showed up you were standing right there congratulations see where her cars parked that's where she stopped me okay all right which is oh I don't know what's that about 60 70 ft away from that so what is your name and badge number ma'am last time make it make it the last time the okay well I'll call the here's the deal whenever I make sure that you haven't been looking in cars and doing stuff like that if I can establish that you're on your way do what you got to do then all right then do me a favor sir don't put your hands in your pockets okay my hands are in yours listen to me all right you've got a holster on I don't know if you have a gun or not I'm if you keep your hands out of your pockets everything is fine hey I've told you I'm not armed well okay here's the deal you're not really acting rationally at the moment all right standing up for my rights is not being rational cause you any problem somebody called us inside she won't even identify herself how professional is that okay well you haven't really given us you already given us keep your hands out of your pockets do me a favor just keep your hands out of your pockets that's all I ask all right you understand why we're here we got a call we're not just here because we feel like it somebody called us you made them uncomfortable inside you're going in taking pictures if you want to take pictures of the facility I don't have a problem with that but whenever you're taking pictures of citizens it make some Mone e well that's their problem not mine okay and when you get a call for you get here for a second when you get a call for service on somebody taking pictures they you should say oh this is that's a First Amendment protected activity with the post office is call they have a problem with what you doing that makes it a disturbance it's perfectly legal what I'm doing they've already come out and said that it's legal doing that why we're here her problem not mine we were busy and have other things to do so I'm not here to harass you or give you our time but you're not acting right I'm acting just fine from the from the beginning because I don't want to talk to the police that's not acting right no you walk away from the police right because I don't want to talk to you because you come up with you drum up stupid [ __ ] like uh like have you been drinking because there's an empty bottle on the ground come on am I free to go are they are they done now not yet what is your name and badge number sir shman 14 you have the sergeant Sherman 144 thank you sir well that's two out of three that have been professional thank you one officer refused to identify herself violating the standard of transparency expected from public officials under 42 us code section 1,983 individuals can seek recourse for civil rights violations committed under the color of law the officers eventually let the photographer go after realizing they had no legal grounds to detain him yes sir kind you doing on the post office you can see it online in a few days you tell me I what it's about or like well now it's going to be about the first amendment in the post office because they're obviously not not trained because they have uh documentation from their higher ups that was released let's see first is poster 7 I believe and then there is uh a memo that came out 8 years ago so I think they've had enough time as far what I guess what memo public right I understand it's public photography basically the Department of Homeland Security in 2010 came out with a letter right yeah came out with a memo that said that it was perfectly legal to record any federal installation any federal property that's it I mean that's it I haven't uh bothered anybody I went inside I got a passport application said Thank you and see you later just taking pictures That's it man was anybody said that recording was a crime here yeah the uh the lady who came out and talk to me said that you can't record Federal uh property but that's she's uh misinformed yes yeah she's misinformed and I actually told her I was like call the police if that's what you feel like you want to do and they'll educate you I didn't think it was going to be this because obviously there's a few officers here that aren't educated on this okay so what all what else are you trying to what stories else are you doing I know um a lot of it has to do with First Amendment stuff and um you know government accountability so you been to the jail for house y police station out here yes sir where else you going to go uh actually I'm done after after this after this yeah have a good day all right excuse me despite being released the photographer pointed out the officer's misconduct and planned to share the incident publicly to hold them accountable this incident highlighted how a simple Act of public photography turned into an example of systemic abuse of authority where ignorance of the law and a lack of professionalism culminated in an unwarranted confrontation like And subscribe for more police camp stories watch the next recommended video click to watch now