My client was driving in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He saw a police car belonging to the Martinsburg Police Department. Desiring to express some protected First Amendment speech, he flipped them the bird – the middle finger. They immediately pulled him over. A federal civil rights lawsuit is currently pending.
Two police officers in Asheville, North Carolina, violently arrested a beloved local 63 year-old janitor after receiving a false report from the local Subaru dealership that one of their cars was being used without authorization. Louis Searles, the janitor, sees the officers looking at a car outside the building where he works. He had observed the woman who was driving the vehicle, so he walked up to the officers and told then where the woman was (in a local business called “Thrive,” which is in the building where he works as a janitor. Instead of going and locating that woman, they decided to violently arrest the janitor.
Here’s the video the cops made.
Here’s the 4th Circuit case discussed in the video, Milla v. Brown:
In Sharp County, Arkansas, Sheriff Shane Russell showed up at a family’s front door, following allegations from a neighbor that they had been revving their engines earlier (on their own property). Sheriff Russell, flanked by other police officers, did not have a warrant. But he didn’t let that stop him.
The original video here.
Cops with the Idaho Falls, Idaho Police Department busted in an innocent family’s home, breaking their front door, looking for a third party fugitive. Though the homeowner knew his constitutional rights and demanded a warrant, the cops claimed they didn’t need a warrant because they believe a dangerous fugitive (the girlfriend’s brother) was inside. They did come inside and forced the family outside into the cold for about 30 minutes.
During this time period they handcuffed the dad, even though he was suspected of no crime and there was no search warrant for the home. The problem is, according the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1981 opinion in Steagald v. United States (1981), exigent circumstances to enter a home do not exist merely because the police know the location of a fugitive, even if they possess an arrest warrant for that person. They must also have a search warrant for the residence.
Surprise Police Chief Piña recorded an internal message video for his police officers about a week after the arrest. In it, he defiantly and irrationally claims that there was no First Amendment violation. He also has another officer, who gained valuable experience in First Amendment (and other) violations, while working at the Phoenix Police Department, give the officers advice on how to respond to encounters with so-called First Amendment Auditors.
Here’s the first video I did on this.
Cops in Little Rock, Arkansas harass a veteran holding a cardboard sign that reads, “God Bless Our Homeless Vets.” The veteran happens to be Jeff Gray, a YouTuber and legendary First Amendment activist. Like moths to the flame….
Here’s the 8th Circuit case discussed in the video.
Rodgers v. Bryant, 942 F.3d 451 (8th Cir. 2019)
Here is Jeff Gray’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HONORYOUROATH/
The Supreme Court has made clear that “one of the most precious of the liberties safeguarded by the Bill of Rights” is the sacred promise to every American, enshrined in the First Amendment, that citizens enjoy the freedom to complain about their leaders. Lozman v. Riviera Beach, 585 U.S. 87, 101 (2018). But the city of Surprise, Arizona and its mayor, Skip Hall, broke that promise, arresting Plaintiff Rebekah Massie in front of her 10-year-old daughter for criticizing a public official at a city council meeting.
The complaint:
UPDATE October 24, 2024:
Surprise Police Chief Piña recorded an internal message video for his police officers about a week after the arrest. In it, he defiantly and irrationally claims that there was no First Amendment violation. He also has another officer, who gained valuable experience in First Amendment (and other) violations, while working at the Phoenix Police Department, give the officers advice on how to respond to encounters with so-called First Amendment Auditors.
Teton County Sheriff’s Deputy Ashley Hayes detained a woman and her boyfriend because they “were at a gas station an abnormal amount of time.” They were ultimately held for over 90 minutes, while a drug dog was brought to the scene, unsuccessfully searching them for drugs. The boyfriend was arrested for refusing to sit on a curb during the detention, despite the fact that no crime had even been alleged to have occurred. The video went viral locally, with many residents calling for the termination of the deputy. The sheriff acknowledged the existence of the video, but has refused to comment on the situation due to the pending (bogus) charges against the boyfriend. So basically, a couple went to the gas station, and then got harassed by some cops for no actual justified reason.
Media report here.
More raw footage found here.
In Alaska, the Anchorage Police Department shot and killed Kristopher Handy, following several 911 calls by a neighbor alleging a domestic disturbance and that Handy had a gun and was waiting for law enforcement to arrive. By the time they arrived, Handy, who had gone back inside the apartment, emerged from the apartment holding a shotgun in one hand. Officers opened fire, killing him. At their initial press conference, the APD said that Handy “raised the longarm towards the officers” prior to deadly force being used. But then neighbors produced surveillance footage showing that Handy did not actually make any movement towards raising the shotgun prior to being shot.
Here’s the raw footage showing the moment he was shot – a view not captured on the officers’ body cams, at least one of which was covered:
Here’s the full video released by the APD.
Here’s the 9th Circuit opinion in Calonge v. City of San Jose, 22-16495 (9th Cir. Jun 07, 2024) that was discussed the video:
Here’s the full video from the Colonge shooting, including Officer Carboni’s bodycam footage.
Here’s the media report on the female juvenile recently shot and killed by the APD.
Even though it’s perfectly legal to board an airline in the United States with any amount of cash, the TSA and the DEA are running a scam where they will attempt to seize that cash, even where you are not suspected of having committed any crime. Then they make you fight to regain your cash, which can take years and thousands of dollars in legal fees. The government makes a lot of money this way and it has nothing to do with investigating or fighting crime. This is rare footage of exactly how they run this scam.
This footage was provided by the Institute for Justice and was recently highlighted in a video they posted on their Youtube channel. They currently have a class action lawsuit where they are challenging this illegal practice and attempting to hold the federal government accountable for numerous egregious examples of this practice, which are detailed in their complaint. Read the full class action complaint here.
You can help fund this important litigation by donating to the Institute for Justice now: