A newly released body camera recording from Adams County, Colorado shows a wrongful arrest that ended with an $80,000 settlement and a supervisor apologizing on the side of the road. This bodycam footage captures the moment Barry Zatkalik, a former Denver reserve police officer, recorded a deputy he believed was speeding… and ended up in handcuffs for “obstruction” despite not committing a crime. In this video, we break down the full bodycam footage, the timeline, the arrest, the apology, and how this incident turned into one of the clearest First Amendment violations caught on camera in 2024. The deputy involved, Walter Berlinski, immediately escalated the situation after Zatkalik asked for his name, badge number, and wanted to file a speeding complaint. Instead of answering, the deputy demanded Zatkalik’s license, registration, and proof of insurance even though Zatkalik wasn’t being detained, wasn’t part of a traffic stop, and was legally recording from his own car. The bodycam then shows the deputy placing Barry under arrest for obstruction, putting him in the back of a patrol vehicle, and trying to justify a charge that simply didn’t exist. Minutes later, another officer arrived and flat-out told him, “You don’t have obstruction.” A supervisor then showed up, reviewed the situation, and apologized directly to Barry on camera, saying, “I will apologize for the sheriff’s office.” Barry Zatkalik never even filed a lawsuit. His attorney sent a legal notice, and Adams County paid him $80,000 for wrongful arrest, retaliation for protected First Amendment activity, and violating his right to record law enforcement in public. This is a major reminder that citizens and even former cops have the constitutional right to record police officers without fear of retaliation. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:12 Police Stop 1:44 Arrest 2:29 Officer Discussion with Supervisor 3:49 Barry Explaining His Perspective 6:19 Officer Apologie 8:34 Bodycam Breakdown 👉 Subscribe for more real police bodycam footage, arrests, and criminal investigations. Disclaimer: This video contains footage of a real-life incident. Viewer discretion is advised. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This content is provided strictly for informational and educational purposes. All footage is publicly released, used under fair use principles or from the Freedom of Information Act - FOIA

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