Cop Gets Put In His Place By His Supervisor & Man Who Refused to ID! First Amendment/ID Refusal!

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]What happens when a cop demands ID with no crime committed? Well, in Millburn, New Jersey, this officer quickly found out. A simple recording outside of a bank turned into a heated exchange. The cop tried to press for ID, but the man wasn't having it. He stood his ground, challenged every question, and when the supervisor showed up, it was game over.

[00:00:17]The officer got corrected on the spot, and the man walked away completely free.

[00:00:22]>> We just got called on your recording. We want to know why.

[00:00:24]>> Oh, recording the building. What's that?

[00:00:27]Recording the building. For what? It's a beautiful building. Isn't it? Yeah.

[00:00:31]You doing it for like a project or anything or for your own >> Just recording, man. Just recording. You got ID on you by any chance? ID for what? I need to check to see who you are.

[00:00:41]>> No, I don't I left my ID in my other jeans pocket. Sorry. You got nothing?

[00:00:45]No, I got nothing. Can I get a name on you if you don't mind? What name you want? The name that you go by?

[00:00:51]I go by plenty of names. When I was in when I was in middle school, they called me Skinny Minnie. What's your real >> was in the high school, they called me Chocolate Thunder.

[00:01:00]What's your real >> Right now, my real name? What do you need my name for?

[00:01:03]>> or your legal name?

[00:01:04]>> For what?

[00:01:05]Cuz I want to check to see who you are.

[00:01:06]You're wearing a mask and recording.

[00:01:08]>> Okay.

[00:01:08]>> You're being evasive. I don't >> Okay. Anything illegal in that? No, but I'm doing my job. You're doing your job.

[00:01:13]>> well, do your job. Well, you're obstructing the sidewalk, so they >> How? Everybody can walk by. I'm standing right here.

[00:01:20]>> on the spot.

[00:01:21]>> Why can't I? Cuz the law states that.

[00:01:23]What What's illegal about it? What's illegal about it?

[00:01:26]>> Let me get your first name.

[00:01:27]>> You're not getting my name. Call Call your supervisor.

[00:01:31]You want me to call my supervisor?

[00:01:32]>> Call your supervisor. Call your sergeant. Call whoever.

[00:01:35]So, you want to send over a supervisor of a male recording refusing to give me his name.

[00:01:42]Or his legal name, I should say.

[00:01:44]Are you going to come out here? Are you going to You came out Once you got out to the car, you said I wasn't doing nothing wrong, and then you asked me for ID. How Yeah. That don't make no sense.

[00:01:52]You got to What's What's your >> to know what you're doing, you know.

[00:01:55]>> What's your rash? My rash is that you're You have a mask on.

[00:01:58]>> Okay. You got shades on.

[00:01:59]>> Okay.

[00:02:00]>> You're recording outside >> shades on. Okay. I don't have a camera.

[00:02:03]>> You recording outside of a bank, too.

[00:02:04]>> Yeah, well, I am. You doing the same thing I'm doing. I'm acting as an official of the government.

[00:02:09]>> Okay, and I'm taking pictures. Anything wrong with me taking pictures? That's all I want to know.

[00:02:13]>> is pretty odd. Okay, well, maybe I was born odd. Maybe. I don't know.

[00:02:17]>> That's fine if you are, but I just A bank is kind of weird.

[00:02:20]>> Okay. Are you Are you scoping it out?

[00:02:22]Are you getting >> at the building.

[00:02:24]>> I understand that.

[00:02:25]>> It could be a It could be any type of building. I'm just looking at it. You see?

[00:02:29]That's cool, man. Yeah.

[00:02:31]Just can't come out here and just demand I mean, you just demand ID from anybody out here? Look at this. How long you been on the How long you been on the force?

[00:02:39]Okay, but how long you been on the force?

[00:02:42]Yeah, but when you came out here, you see it was a guy standing out here doing nothing wrong.

[00:02:47]What's the problem? You should have went inside there and told them, "Hey, this guy doing nothing wrong." Well, you're recording outside of a bank.

[00:02:53]>> What's wrong with that?

[00:02:54]>> mask on. What's wrong with that, officer? What's your name and badge number? What's your name and badge number? Uh Goldfarb, >> 522. Who? Goldfarb, 522.

[00:03:02]>> Goldfarb. All right. And where you got police department at? What? You don't know where you're at? I I know I'm in Millburn. That's >> Where is your police department?

[00:03:11]>> It's on that sixth street. Okay.

[00:03:13]But I'm probably going to have to stop by there. You should.

[00:03:17]You demanding ID with no crime. You got to have a crime to demand ID, you know that? How long you say you've been on the force? A while.

[00:03:24]You don't know you got to have a crime to demand ID? You didn't know that? You know the law that if I ask you for ID, you have to give >> What's your name and badge number?

[00:03:30]That's the law if you ask me Hold on.

[00:03:34]>> [laughter] [laughter] >> Hello. Hello. I asked you for your ID.

[00:03:41]You said >> You asked me for ID, that means I can politely decline. Well, now I'm asking you for your information, which you're not giving me.

[00:03:48]>> Well, am I being detained right now?

[00:03:50]You're not able to leave yet.

[00:03:51]>> But am I being detained? You're not able to You're not free to leave.

[00:03:54]>> But am I being detained? So, you detaining me for no crime right now.

[00:03:58]That's what you're doing right now.

[00:03:59]>> You're not leaving, and you're staying put. So, you detaining me. That's That's how you can leave. Are you detaining me?

[00:04:04]It's a simple question. Are you detaining me or you not detaining me?

[00:04:09]Which one you doing? You detaining me or you not detaining me? Which one? Which one you want to go with? I just want to know cuz I'm ready to be free to go.

[00:04:18]You detaining him? No, you called for my supervisor, so my supervisor is going to come out. Yeah, your supervisor is going to probably train you on If you say you've been on the force for a long time, your supervisor might train you and tell you that you just can't demand ID.

[00:04:29]How you doing? How you say your name and badge number?

[00:04:31]Officer Reed, 567. Officer who?

[00:04:34]>> Reed, 567. Name and badge number, sir?

[00:04:42]Name and badge number?

[00:04:45]Greenbush, 578.

[00:04:47]>> Greenbush. I like that name, Greenbush.

[00:04:50]What's your name, sir? I don't give my name.

[00:04:53]Officer, how you doing today?

[00:04:55]>> I'm doing good, man. I'm doing good. I was doing good until this officer here Officer I don't know his name, but This officer tried to I don't know, man. I don't know.

[00:05:04]>> anything from us? I don't Look, this what I got.

[00:05:08]>> You all good?

[00:05:09]Yeah. Are you detaining Am I still under detention, sir?

[00:05:14]He called all you guys to back up for a just a guy with a camera? That's crazy.

[00:05:18]>> Well, we were riding together, me and him. Yeah, we always We always >> guy called for you guys for backup. Like he could have did it >> same sector, so we all We all come at the same time.

[00:05:26]>> back each other up for every call. Okay.

[00:05:28]Okay.

[00:05:28]>> we do.

[00:05:29]It's okay, good.

[00:05:31]If you don't need anything from us, we're going to leave. Hey, man, listen, man. I don't need anything. I was just trying to mind my business and stand here and record, and this guy >> you know, on the public sidewalk, you're good to go.

[00:05:42]>> I'm good to go. This guy talking about I'm If you're on their property, they don't want you there, you got >> I never been on their property. I don't know what this guy I'm going to deal with this guy, though. I'm going to deal with this guy. All right, you two, man.

[00:05:50]You all have a good day and be safe out there. All right, be safe, man. You too.

[00:05:54]I'm going to deal with this guy in the bank.

[00:05:57]Since he wanted to put me under detention.

[00:05:59]Am I still under detention?

[00:06:03]What they say?

[00:06:04]Are you guys >> You put me under detention. They didn't put me up. They said they they gone.

[00:06:08]They You put me under detention. That's fine, too. I ain't Yeah, but you put me under detention. I got things to do. You just detaining me for no reason.

[00:06:18]You just can't come out here and demand an ID just because somebody's standing on the sidewalk taking pictures.

[00:06:23]It's freedom of the press, man. It's a constant I'm doing the constitutional act. You swore to protect that. Mhm. So, why would you ask me for ID? You see no crime here.

[00:06:33]>> It's still a little odd that you're filming outside of a bank.

[00:06:36]>> Maybe I was born odd to be subjective.

[00:06:38]Anything to be odd, and you can't just demand ID cuz you see something that you seem to be odd.

[00:06:44]If somebody walking down the street on their hands, that seem kind of odd, but you going to go ask them for ID because of that?

[00:06:50]>> It's a little weird. I'm taking pictures here. I know, outside of a bank, though?

[00:06:53]I'm taking pictures, man. Outside of a bank, outside of a jewelry store, outside of a building. It don't matter.

[00:07:00]I'm going to take pictures in public.

[00:07:03]I love taking pictures. I just got this new gimbal.

[00:07:06]You put me under >> I like the gimbals.

[00:07:08]>> Yeah, you put me under detention, man.

[00:07:09]>> Does it actually like It doesn't move when you move the camera, right? I can move it I can move it myself. I can control it.

[00:07:16]>> bounce around, right?

[00:07:17]>> No.

[00:07:17]>> It stays put. Stay put.

[00:07:18]>> you get it, Amazon? Yeah.

[00:07:20]Like 10 bucks? No, about 50, 60.

[00:07:24]>> Hey, how you doing? How you doing? Name and badge number? Lieutenant McMillan, 604.

[00:07:28]>> Lieutenant, how you doing? Good, yourself? I'm good. Your officer here put me under detention for no crime.

[00:07:34]Just standing on the sidewalk taking pictures. Okay. All right, so So, you let your officer know that he just can't demand ID and put me under detention for no crime at all. Okay.

[00:07:46]So, obviously, we're interacting cuz Wells Fargo called, right?

[00:07:50]>> Okay.

[00:07:50]>> Which You're allowed to be on this sidewalk filming all you want, recording all you want, okay? As long as you don't go in there and disrupt them, you can stand out here all you want, record all day long. All right? And just don't block any path of way for people trying to get through. Of course.

[00:08:03]>> Other than that, there's no reason to identify you.

[00:08:06]No, I know you You ain't got to tell me, but you need to tell your officer here. You know, >> Cuz maybe he didn't know. You say you've been on the force for a long time. Okay.

[00:08:14]These officers here were great. They came out, see what I was doing, see nothing wrong. They said, "We going to leave." This guy wanted to put me under detention.

[00:08:22]>> So, am I still under detention?

[00:08:24]>> No, you're not. You detai- You said I can't go. That mean you detaining me.

[00:08:27]You said I can't leave. All right. Am I under detention now? Am I under detention now?

[00:08:32]All right, thank you.

[00:08:33]>> All right, have a good day. You all have a good day, too, and be safe, man.

[00:08:37]I like the gimbal.

[00:08:38]Thank you. Be careful before you put people under detention. I didn't put anyone under detention.

[00:08:45]And just like that, the supervisor set the record straight. Filming in public is 100% legal, no ID required. What started as a shaky stop ended with the officer walking away, and the cameraman standing tall, free to go. Another reminder, always know your rights. What do you think was this officer out of line or just doing his job? Drop your thoughts in the comments, hit that like button, and don't forget to subscribe.

[00:09:06]Until next time, stay safe and stay free.

[00:09:09]>> Sometimes the biggest reality check doesn't come from the public, it comes from your own supervisor, right when you thought you were in control.

[00:09:18]It started simple. Public area, open space, a man standing there recording, no disturbance, no confrontation, just a camera and silence. But like always, that silence didn't last long. An officer approached, confident, direct, "What are you doing?"

[00:09:39]"I'm recording in public."

[00:09:41]Clear, calm, but that answer didn't sit well. "Let me see your ID."

[00:09:47]That was the shift from conversation to control, but again, no crime, no explanation, just a demand. The man didn't move, didn't reach for anything.

[00:10:00]Instead, he asked, "Am I being detained or am I free to go?"

[00:10:06]That question hit instantly because now the officer had to define it. "You're being detained."

[00:10:13]Strong words, serious, but empty without a reason. "What crime do you suspect me of committing?"

[00:10:21]And just like that, everything slowed down because now an answer was required, a real one. "You're acting suspicious."

[00:10:30]That word again, vague, convenient, but not enough. Recording in public isn't a crime.

[00:10:38]Still calm, still respectful, but firm.

[00:10:41]And now you could see it, the shift, the hesitation because the conversation wasn't going how the officer expected.

[00:10:49]"Give me your ID."

[00:10:51]Again, stronger this time, more pressure, but still no legal ground. "I don't answer questions and I don't provide ID without a crime."

[00:11:02]Clear, confident, unshaken, and that's when things started slipping because authority works best when it's not questioned. But here, everything was being questioned calmly, correctly.

[00:11:15]People nearby started noticing, watching quietly because something didn't feel right. The officer kept pushing, trying to hold control. But every step was getting weaker and then everything changed. A supervisor arrived, different presence, calm, observing. "What's going on?"

[00:11:36]Simple question, but now everything had to make sense. The officer explained, tried to justify the detention, tried to frame the situation, but something was off because the words didn't match reality. The supervisor turned to the man, "What's happening?"

[00:11:55]"I'm on public property recording and I'm being asked for ID without any crime."

[00:12:01]Simple, direct, nothing extra, and that's all it took. The supervisor paused, looked around, took in the situation, no disturbance, no violation, no crime, just a camera and a citizen.

[00:12:16]And in that moment, the truth became obvious. If there's no crime, he doesn't have to identify.

[00:12:23]That one sentence ended everything, not loudly, not dramatically, but completely. The silence that followed was heavy because now it was clear the detention wasn't justified, the demand wasn't legal, and the situation had flipped. The officer who started it stood there quietly because it's one thing to be challenged by a citizen, it's another to be corrected in front of your own supervisor. The man didn't push it, didn't embarrass him, didn't escalate. He didn't need to because the point had already been made, clearly, publicly, and on camera. The supervisor gave a final nod. "You're free to go."

[00:13:08]Just like that, no ID, no charges, no authority left to stand on. The officer stepped back, quieter now, less confident because moments like that stay with you, not because of what was said, but because of what was exposed. That authority without knowledge doesn't hold up, especially when someone knows their rights, and especially when your own department is watching because at the end of the day, this wasn't about winning, it wasn't about proving someone wrong, it was about something simple, understanding the line where authority ends and rights begin. So the next time someone tells you you have to do something, ask yourself one thing, is it the law or just the way they said it?

[00:13:55]Because once you know the difference, everything changes, even for the person standing across from you.