Tag Archives: first amendment retaliation

Arrested for “Improperly Crossing the Road” (while recording cops)

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Gerald Shields saw an unusually large number of cop cars at a traffic stop. He began filming them from across the public street. No yelling, no interference, no threats. Just recording what police officers were doing – in public, from a safe distance. But minutes later, Gerald was face-down on the ground, injured, and under arrest. The alleged crime? Improperly crossing the street. But as it turns out, that wasn’t actually a crime. The officers were just harassing Gerald because he was filming them. They didn’t even deny it… 

Chief Deputy Grabs Woman on a Public Sidewalk, Forces Her to Stop Recording

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On August 5, 2025 in Huntington, West Virginia, Chief Deputy Chuck Zerkle of the Cabell County (West Virginia) Sheriff’s Office grabbed a woman filming the arrest of a homeless man from a public sidewalk near the courthouse. He forced the woman, a social worker, to stop filming what she perceived to be police officers engaged in a gratuitous use of force outside of view of surveillance cameras (while not wearing body cams). Fortunately, another woman was also recording…

The lawsuit:

Dist.S.D.W.Va._3-25-cv-00490_1Download

Driver Honks at Cop Car Idling at Green Light, Gets Arrested 5 Minutes Later

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Matthew Edwards, a hard working welder, had just worked a 14 hour shift and was waiting to turn into his neighborhood in Troy, New York. A marked police car was waiting at a red light in front of him at the intersection where he was waiting to make a left turn onto the street where he lives. But when the light turned green, the police car didn’t move. After waiting a few moments, Matthew briefly honked his horn to alert the distracted police officer that the light had turned green. Within 5 minutes, Matthew would be violently arrested by that officer, Taylor Ganache with the Troy Police Department.

The police report:

The lawsuit:

Troy ComplaintDownload

Officer Magnifico, Who Lost His Temper, Slammed Kid at Sheetz, Has RESIGNED (but not really)

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Officer Rob Magnifico, formerly the chief of the Ellwood City (PA) Police Department, was demoted in June after he slammed a kid on the ground at a Sheetz gas station for using the “F” word while demanding his cell phone be returned, which he had previously accidentally left at the gas station. Apparently Magnifico recently resigned – but unfortunately, not from Ellwood City. Instead, he is challenging his prior discipline, and may actually be making more money, while exercising essentially the same authority as before his demotion.

Cop Arrests Mom of 3 Filming His Illegal Traffic Stop | She Wins in Court

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On July 31, 2024, Kentucky State Police Trooper Myron Jackson took exception to Christen Johnson, a dental assistant and mom of 3 young children, silently filming his illegal traffic stop from her front porch. Trooper Jackson stormed up to Christen and threatened her, “Go inside of the house or I will take you from your kids and take you to jail.”

When Christen remained filming on her porch, Trooper Jackson grabbed her, forcefully pulled her from her porch, and dragged her across the ground. Christen’s two, seven, and ten-year-old children screamed and cried, watching helplessly as their mother was violently hand- cuffed and dragged away to jail. When she got out of jail the next day, she was forced to walk several miles home, and when she got there, she found her children gone.

The lawsuit:

Johnson suit filed copyDownload

Man Fights for his Right to Call Cops “D**kheads” for Blocking the Drive-Thru

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Josh Smith just wanted to get some fast food from “Humdingers” in Montrose, Colorado, but three police cars were blocking the drive-thru. The cops had just found a sex toy in the car they were searching in the parking lot, and they were goofing off with it. But Josh was hungry. He told them to “move their shit out of the way, dickheads.” He was eventually pulled over about a mile away and ticketed for “an obscene gesture.”

Media Report No. 1

Media Report No. 2

My Client Gave Cops The Middle Finger

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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.

LEAKED: Police Chief’s Anti-First Amendment Message to his Officers

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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.

Ignorant Cops Harass Veteran Over Cardboard Sign | Enforce Law Held Unconstitutional in 2019!

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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/

Shocking Arrest During City Council Meeting | Bodycam Released | Lawsuit Filed

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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:

Massie v. City of Surprise – Complaint_2Download

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.