Cops Pull Over the WRONG Guy and Get CRUSHED In Court!

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:04][music] On the afternoon of June 15th, 2022, driver Mario Rosales and passenger Gracie Lassion were driving in Alexandria, Louisiana, when Officer Jim Lewis and Officer Samuel Terrell of the Alexandria Police Department pulled them over, claiming that Mr. Rosales had failed to signal a left turn. The stop that followed was captured on both officers body cameras, a dashboard camera, and a nearby security camera.

[00:00:47]>> Why?

[00:00:58]502 >> Jackson Doorchester 7827 on a red Mustang out of New Mexico. Alpha Mike Bravo November 85 amb 85 >> right >> here.

[00:01:31]>> Cool. Let me see your ID.

[00:01:34]>> Got it.

[00:01:35]Monthian monu 167 in my >> Okay. Where's it at?

[00:01:50]>> In the back seat. Okay. What is it?

[00:01:54]>> Huh?

[00:01:56]>> You have any on you? You might here. Go tell right here little bumper just real quick. Real quick.

[00:02:04]Hey, can I get permission out of your gun? Out of your uh vehicle?

[00:02:07]>> Uh, no. I don't want anybody searching my vehicle.

[00:02:09]>> Okay, cool.

[00:02:11]>> Transport 128 right now. Picking up 15.

[00:02:14]>> Hey, how you doing? Unbuckle. Step out for me.

[00:02:18]>> 1022.

[00:02:20]>> You can leave everything right there.

[00:02:22]Just step out for me. Okay. You don't have any guns on you, do you? I got you.

[00:02:26]Just stay just a second. Come here.

[00:02:31]Just wait right there for me. Okay.

[00:02:36]>> 104 3252.

[00:02:43]Okay. Just hang tight for me right there, please.

[00:02:51]>> Hey, listen. I don't know if my partner's done this or not, but I'm going to do it. Okay. Uh, you do have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you.

[00:02:59]You have the right to an attorney. Can't afford one.

[00:03:02]to represent you for any questions you wish. You can decide at any time to exercise these rights, not answer your question, make the same rights.

[00:03:09]>> Traffic stops illegal detainment. Reason I did that is I got a couple questions that may or may not pertain your guilt or innocence. Right? So I always advise before I ask those types of questions.

[00:03:19]Now it goes to the the fifth amendment, right? So anytime you're not comfortable with one of my questions, you can say pass. Are you familiar with the fifth amendment?

[00:03:30]>> Okay. How long you been in the state of Louisiana?

[00:03:33]>> 24 hours.

[00:03:33]>> It's off and on, bro.

[00:03:35]>> Cuz I'm not I'm originally from Roswell, but I'm trying to >> Roswell where the >> Yeah.

[00:03:40]>> Yeah. Nice.

[00:03:41]>> But so I've been trying to get residence here. I work uh I work here at Atlas Home Services, man. I've been trying to buy a home, but >> You ever been arrested for anything?

[00:03:54]>> Do you mind emptying out your pockets for me on the hood of my car?

[00:03:58]>> No.

[00:04:01]That's a question.

[00:04:08]>> Nothing else. You mind if I check?

[00:04:14]>> Hey, grab my boy real quick. Do you mind if I check?

[00:04:16]>> Uh, do you have something on you you're not supposed to have?

[00:04:18]>> I don't have anything on me.

[00:04:20]>> Officer Terrell frisks Mr. Rosales and Officer Lewis later asks him to empty his pockets onto the hood of the police vehicle. The frisk implicates the standard established by the Supreme Court in the 1968 case of Terry v. Ohio, which held that an officer may conduct a patown of a person's outer clothing only when the officer has reasonable suspicion grounded in specific and articulable facts that a person is both armed and presently dangerous. Here, Mr. Rosales had calmly complied with instruction, had no criminal history, had truthfully disclosed the location of a firearm in the backseat of his vehicle, and had explicitly denied having any weapon on his person, none of which provided a particularized objective basis to believe that he was armed and dangerous. Now, as for the pocket search, the Fourth Amendment generally prohibits warrantless searches absent a recognized exception to the rule. And the Supreme Court made clear in the 1993 case of Minnesota v.

[00:05:15]Dickerson that a terry frisk does not provide one. Holding that a pat down is strictly limited to a person's outer clothing for weapons and that an officer has no constitutional justification to reach into a person's pockets unless the frisk itself reveals an object that feels like it could be a weapon.

[00:05:34]Additionally, although consent is another recognized exception to the warrant requirement, and Mr. Rosales appeared to empty his pockets willingly.

[00:05:42]As the Supreme Court determined in the 1973 case of Schneckloth vamonte, consent is only valid if it is freely and voluntarily given under the totality of the surrounding circumstances. A standard that could potentially be unsatisfied when Mr. Rosales had already been frisked, had his phone confiscated, had been told repeatedly that he was legally detained, and was surrounded by two armed officers conducting an extended interrogation before being asked to empty his pockets.

[00:06:11]>> I mean, I'd feel a lot safer if uh she had her pawn, she was able to report while you check me.

[00:06:16]>> I body camera.

[00:06:20]>> Yeah. I mean, that's what happened to last incident. Last officer and eventually lost it. Oh, you had an incident where officer lost his body camera footage.

[00:06:27]>> Yeah.

[00:06:28]>> Oh, wow.

[00:06:28]>> That's why I'm having a hustling on that officer.

[00:06:30]>> Oh, wow. I promise you I won't lose mine.

[00:06:34]>> So, here's my question. All right.

[00:06:37]Turn to face me. I always like to talk to people face on. Do Do you have anything in Can you step for right over there for a second?

[00:06:45]>> That way, me and you can have a conversation.

[00:06:47]>> So, I'm going same thing. I'm going to advise you of your rights as well while he talks to him.

[00:06:51]>> You're not comfortable with any of my questions. safe.

[00:06:54]Okay. Is that fair?

[00:06:56]>> All right. Cool. Anything in the vehicle that you shoot?

[00:07:01]>> No. You ever been arrested for anything?

[00:07:04]>> Never.

[00:07:05]>> Okay.

[00:07:06]>> I got you. Any marijuana in the vehicle?

[00:07:08]>> No.

[00:07:10]>> Uh meth?

[00:07:13]>> No.

[00:07:15]>> Uh heroin?

[00:07:16]>> No.

[00:07:17]>> Fentanyl?

[00:07:18]>> No.

[00:07:19]>> Prescription pills not prescribed?

[00:07:21]>> No. Okay.

[00:07:24]>> Cocaine.

[00:07:25]>> Correct. Cocaine. I don't I don't deal with drugs. I don't have any kind of any drugs.

[00:07:32]>> Yeah.

[00:07:32]>> You married?

[00:07:33]>> No.

[00:07:33]>> How long you live?

[00:07:35]>> Around a year.

[00:07:35]>> About a year. Where yall live at?

[00:07:37]>> I live with my sister.

[00:07:39]>> Okay. Where does he live?

[00:07:42]>> He's from Roswell and he comes back.

[00:07:45]>> Okay. Okay. How often does he try to make that trip? Um >> every few months >> every few months stay >> how long Harvey's call should be 1057 517 517 >> so trying to get cuz in order to for me to change my address and all that I need to get proof of residency >> so I've been having to swap over a lot of my bank statements >> and all that You know what the you know what the law says in Louisiana right about >> registration no2.

[00:08:26]>> So if you move from city >> if you move within the city >> like let's say you live in New Orleans and you move to 10 days.

[00:08:41]>> You still have a new Mexico driver's license.

[00:08:45]No, I don't. I have hers.

[00:08:47]>> Oh, >> he does. So, you still have a New Mexico driver's license?

[00:08:51]>> Yeah.

[00:08:51]>> So, when's the last time you were in New Mexico?

[00:08:54]>> It was a couple of weeks ago. Probably not even April Easter.

[00:09:04]>> On Easter?

[00:09:05]>> Yeah.

[00:09:08]>> And then you were there for >> how long for Easter?

[00:09:12]>> Like for the holiday.

[00:09:17]smoke weed.

[00:09:22]>> You can do a hair.

[00:09:27]>> How do you know her?

[00:09:29]>> That's your girlfriend.

[00:09:30]>> So, you're saying your girlfriend?

[00:09:33]>> Yeah.

[00:09:36]>> Uh, we're going to wait just a minute.

[00:09:38]Look, I promise you. Wait, you see it recording right now? We just had experiences.

[00:09:42]>> Why would you have experiences with the police before?

[00:09:47]>> What?

[00:09:52]>> Did you know him at that time?

[00:09:56]>> So I I'll put your mind at you. Okay.

[00:09:57]This is public record. Okay. At any time if say something happens here and it progress to an arrest or something cuz I don't you know I don't see any reason that's going to happen. They're just talking. This is all being recorded.

[00:10:08]There's a camera in the car. There's a camera here. There's a camera there.

[00:10:11]Everything we do is recorded. Okay. It's public record. You can go to police station. Ask for case file that. Okay. No big deal.

[00:10:21]Just wait right here for a second. You know, a traffic stop is illegal detainment, right?

[00:10:27]You were detained on a traffic stop.

[00:10:30]>> Well, yeah.

[00:10:31]>> Yeah. Yeah. Just let you know. You seem like a like a constitutionalist to me.

[00:10:35]Are you?

[00:10:35]>> A little bit. Yeah. Oh, I'm I'm a lot of constitutional.

[00:10:39]>> Switch real quick.

[00:10:42]>> You have my conventions?

[00:10:43]>> No, I do not have your phone.

[00:10:48]>> Did you put it back in your pocket yet?

[00:10:49]>> No, it's it's not in my pocket.

[00:10:52]>> All right. Well, here we might have it on him. You say he doesn't have it. I really like the person.

[00:10:58]>> Yeah, no joke. We're not getting out here to what I'm saying. So, I do that.

[00:11:04]Same.

[00:11:05]I know exactly where it's at. It's in that passenger seat right there with the rest of your paperwork. Okay. So, can you be honest with me? Why am I being stopped?

[00:11:13]>> Failure signal. That's straight pure straight honest answer. He failed to save you. So, we stopped you. Um, and we're we're just talking to people after we stop.

[00:11:23]>> That's all it is. Officer Terrell tells Mr. Rosales that the reason for the stop was a failure to signal and that the officers are simply talking to people after they stop them. Now, the dashboard camera footage clearly shows Mr. Rosales activating his turn signal before executing the left turn, which directly contradicts the stated basis for the stop. That said, section 32104 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes requires that a driver signal continuously for not less than the last 100 ft traveled before turning. And because the footage does not definitively resolve whether the signal was activated far enough in advance, a court could potentially conclude that the officers had a valid basis for the stop if they witnessed a failure to signal for 100 ft. Additionally, Officer Terrell's acknowledgement that the officers were quote unquote just talking to people after the stop describes what amounts to an extended drug interrogation of both Mr. Rosales and Miss Lassion with no connection to the alleged traffic infraction. Now, in the 2009 case of Arizona v. Johnson. The Supreme Court held that an officer's inquiries into matters unrelated to the justification for a traffic stop do not themselves make the stop unlawful so long as those inquiries do not measurably extend the stop's duration.

[00:12:36]Likewise, in the 2015 case of Rodriguez v. United States. The court clarified that authority for a traffic stop ends when the tasks tied to the traffic infraction are or reasonably should have been completed and that absent independent reasonable suspicion of additional illegal activity, an officer may not extend the stop's duration to pursue an unrelated criminal investigation. as the officers almost certainly had no reasonable suspicion of any criminal activity beyond the alleged traffic violation. If a court were to find that the unrelated interrogation of Mr. Rossales and Miss Lassion measurably prolonged the stop beyond the time reasonably required to address the traffic infraction, well then that expansion would constitute an unlawful detention in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

[00:13:21]>> So, I don't know what all he talked to you about. I'll probably ask some of the same questions.

[00:13:26]Meth, uh, heroin, cocaine.

[00:13:32]>> Prescription pills not prescribed to you.

[00:13:35]>> Nothing. You ever been in any kind of trouble at all?

[00:13:38]>> Yes, sir.

[00:13:39]>> I'm trying to make this place my new place residency.

[00:13:42]>> I believe you. Come on.

[00:13:44]>> I have 30 days to get all my stuff.

[00:13:47]>> This way. Right here. Don't touch that.

[00:13:49]It's It's hot, but just hang out right here.

[00:13:51]>> Um, anyway, trying to buy a home. Sure.

[00:13:54]So, here's my thought process. I was trying to buy a home so that way whenever I get my home here, I got to change everything over to match that address.

[00:14:02]>> Okay. But, as you can see, economy wise, >> yeah, look, it went from a great great home buying experience to right now interest rates are up and everybody wants a home. Just hang out for me right here on the bumper. You can stay right there. I wouldn't recommend leaning up on the actual vehicle. It's pretty hot.

[00:14:15]Okay. Hey, here's your phone. Don't touch it yet.

[00:14:20]>> It's being recorded. Look, there's a camera right here. There's a camera right here. There's a camera right there. Okay.

[00:14:27]So, just just hang tight. Right now, you're legally detained, so we're not doing anything extra.

[00:14:34]I got >> Yeah, you're not part of She's She's not a part of this investigation. You just told me I I got prepared attorney. That's right. She's not a part of this, right? No, she is a part of it. Why is she a part of it? She is on this traffic stop. All right. She is a passenger in this vehicle. No, you are not free to leave. You're part of this as well. Okay.

[00:15:00]>> So, even though >> and the reason Can I finish? The reason she is out of the vehicle, right, and standing here is because there is a firearm in that vehicle according to you.

[00:15:12]>> Yeah. I'm not saying she >> right. And that's why you're still here.

[00:15:16]>> Is that why I'm not able to get my phone?

[00:15:18]>> No. No phone right now.

[00:15:21]because this is a traffic stop. You are detained >> and we don't do phone calls on traffic stops.

[00:15:29]>> That's why officer Lewis tells Ms. Lassion that she is not free to leave because she is part of the traffic stop and refuses to allow either her or Mr. Rosales to retrieve their phones to record the encounter.

[00:15:44]The Supreme Court determined that passengers are legally detained during a traffic stop, regardless of whether there was any individualized suspicion that they had committed an offense in the 2007 case of Brenland v. California, holding that all occupants of a vehicle are seized for fourth amendment purposes from the moment the car comes to a halt.

[00:16:02]Well, building on that foundation, the Supreme Court clarified in the Arizona v. Johnson case we discussed earlier in this episode that the temporary seizure of driver and passengers ordinarily continues and remains reasonable for the duration of the stop and that a traffic stop communicates to a reasonable passenger that he or she is not free to terminate the encounter with the police and move about at will. On that basis, a court would likely find that officer Lewis's refusal to allow Miss Lassion to leave was legally sound, provided that the stop itself was lawful. The refusal to allow either Mr. Rosales or Miss Lassion to record the encounter is a separate matter that implicates the First Amendment. In the 2017 case of Turner v. Driver, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the First Amendment protects the right to record police officers performing their duties in public, subject only to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions that must be narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest.

[00:16:58]Now, here both Mr. Rosales and Ms. Lassion made clear that they wanted to use their phones to record the stop and had already demonstrated through their calm and cooperative conduct that doing so would not interfere with the officer's activities. If a court were to find that the officer's blanket prohibition on recording was not narrowly tailored to serve a legitimate government interest, it could constitute a violation of the First Amendment rights of both Mr. Rosales and Ms. Lassion.

[00:17:26]>> Does that answer your question?

[00:17:30]15.

[00:17:41]>> I wish we had things strange. Did you call them up yet?

[00:17:44]>> Huh?

[00:17:45]>> Say what?

[00:17:45]>> Did you call that up yet?

[00:17:48]>> I would say that there's more to this than meets the eye. I would check that and I would check this.

[00:17:54]>> 502.

[00:17:57]502. Can I get a 70 check on a Mario Rosales? R O S A L E S.

[00:18:05]>> A 32 check as well.

[00:18:10]>> Also check 32, please.

[00:18:13]>> And also get a 732 check on a Gracie Law. L A S Y O N E. White female license number >> temple.

[00:18:26]He keeps saying he had a bad experience with it.

[00:18:31]>> Well, hopefully this is a good one.

[00:18:33]>> Yeah.

[00:18:34]>> So, what are you going to ride him for?

[00:18:36]>> Uh, right now I'm failing to say no. Uh, since he keeps going back and he still has residence in New Mexico.

[00:18:43]What is the deal with that? See what I'm saying?

[00:18:46]I would air on the side of caution on that because he told me he's been here for 8 months and he went and visited in Easter but he is staying at her sister's house and for whatever reason he has tried to establish >> residence here but has been unable to. I don't know how much truth that is >> but um based on that statement alone >> um He's been here more than 30 days by his own admission.

[00:19:19]>> Yeah. No doubt. She says he's been when I talked to her, she said he stays here 2 3 months and then he goes back to his house there and every couple weeks or for a few weeks and he comes back.

[00:19:31]>> It's like a door.

[00:19:32]>> I don't think so.

[00:19:33]>> Okay.

[00:19:35]>> I really don't have a I mean besides USV race reason to run my dog on that vehicle. I I really didn't see a whole lot of indicators of him not being >> being completely truthful with my questions. Do you have Is that his cell phone?

[00:19:54]>> No, his cell phon >> Oh, no. He was asking where it's at, man.

[00:19:58]>> No, cuz I We're good. I don't do phone calls on traffic stops. It's >> cuz people start didn't show up.

[00:20:04]>> Yeah. Next thing you know, we got multiple people interfering with my investigation.

[00:20:09]Our investigation.

[00:20:12]So yeah, I would do the PC to stop. And there's also uh uh fail to update his ID. I mean, you can go ahead and put fail to register on there, too.

[00:20:26]>> The sense that they don't like the police.

[00:20:28]>> No.

[00:20:29]>> I don't know why. Cuz we're just friendly.

[00:20:31]>> I'm very That's what I was like. I'm just want to talk to you.

[00:20:34]>> So So we're fail to signal, >> failed to update his >> driver's license. Oh, here comes the 32.

[00:20:45]>> Uh, fail to update and fail to register.

[00:20:49]>> I would love to know what they're talking about right now. They're just like, >> oh man.

[00:20:55]>> He's from Roswell. I was like, Roswell, you know where the alien ship landed or crashed? What?

[00:21:02]>> I know.

[00:21:03]>> Oh my god. You never heard of Roswell, New Mexico?

[00:21:06]>> You don't watch the History Channel?

[00:21:07]There was one >> the alien ship crashed like in the 40s and they had the little green men >> that the government came and swooped and they created Area 51 out of it.

[00:21:18]>> No.

[00:21:18]>> Yeah. Oh my god, dude. You're have to Google Roswell, New Mexico.

[00:21:22]>> Oh, I heard you like have immediate recognition to >> Yeah. He was like, "Yeah, I was like, "Wow, >> that's bad."

[00:21:27]>> I know. It's a spacecraft crash there in the 40s.

[00:21:32]>> What do you think, Reco?

[00:21:39]I I honestly >> which I I get why >> I there's I don't sense anything. I mean, we got Yes, he by his own admission he's got a gun, but our state you can have a gun in your car. It's no big deal. Rick, what made me ask that question was the critical defense ammo that's in the glove box >> that was wide open. And I was like, >> I mean, >> what's that phone number?

[00:22:05]>> It's not stamped.

[00:22:07]>> So, I didn't even have to think about it.

[00:22:09]>> So, make sure you issue this one in a professional manner like I showed you a long time ago. What you >> There's your ticket here.

[00:22:20]>> No, stand by. I I've been working on that.

[00:22:26]So, I'm not part of this.

[00:22:28]>> I actually just watched there's a there's a page that follows some people that go around doing training. I forget what the name I'm in talking about that stuff and they're like I just watched it watching some educational videos on the stuff.

[00:22:40]>> Oh, sorry.

[00:22:42]>> They do it like all about PC and >> All right, sir.

[00:22:50]All right. We're about to get you on your way. I've got your documents here.

[00:22:54]Watch. Let me get right here by my side.

[00:22:57]Yep. So, check it out. This your citation. It's your information, your vehicle information. This is what I'm citing you for. Failure to signal and then fail to registrate register your uh tag and all that long. You only have 30 days to do so. You said you've been here for several months. Okay. As far as the court information, I gave you a court date of 9 8:22 8:30 in the morning. The phone number you can call at 51 Street.

[00:23:20]Okay. Sign here. thought against saying you understand what you have to do to take care of the citation and I do so >> hopefully this is a better experience than you had before.

[00:23:45]>> Uh not quite.

[00:23:47]>> It's almost very sound.

[00:23:49]>> Wow.

[00:23:50]>> All right, sir.

[00:23:53]Uh, I mean that's not here to discuss >> 101 command. Yes, >> your license right there.

[00:24:00]>> Don't forget to retrieve the rest of your items.

[00:24:03]>> 317 Kendrick Butler date of birth 11784.

[00:24:10]>> All right, sir.

[00:24:11]>> Y'all have a good rest of your day.

[00:24:13]>> Actually, got for you guys if I can.

[00:24:15]>> Sure. Your name and badge number seven.

[00:24:20]Oh yeah. Is this?

[00:24:23]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:24:31]You said Louis 16.

[00:24:36]Okay. Um, who would I contact in order to get footage of the of your vehicle?

[00:24:44]Just the recording help. Contact city uh police department, city of Alexandria.

[00:24:49]They'll tell you what you need to do.

[00:24:50]>> 1000 Bolton Street.

[00:24:51]>> All right. Am I going to need a unit number on this vehicle?

[00:24:55]>> Okay, that's it.

[00:24:56]>> Have a good day, sir.

[00:25:04]>> Oh, it's also attaching badge numbers.

[00:25:06]>> Yeah. Okay. Go ahead.

[00:25:08]Negative on that subject.

[00:25:11]Yep.

[00:25:23]Officer Terrell issued Mr. Rosales a citation for three violations. Failure to signal, failure to register his vehicle, and a second vehicle registration related allegation, the precise statutory basis of which was unclear. He then provided Mr. Rosales with a copy of the citation that was so faint it was largely illegible. All three charges were subsequently dismissed and Mr. Rossales and Miss Lassion filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on November 1st, 2022 with assistance from the Institute for Justice against Officer Lewis and Officer Terrell in their individual and official capacities, former chief of police Ronnie Howard in his official capacity and the city of Alexandria asserting violations of the first and fourth amendments. The defendants moved for judgment on the pleadings, arguing that the complaint failed to state a viable claim and that the officers were entitled to qualified immunity. On October 6th, 2025, the district court denied both motions. Officers Lewis and Terrell filed interlocatory appeals on denial on November 4th and November 5th, respectively. And as of the date of writing this episode, the case remains pending before the fifth circuit court of appeals. Overall, Officer Lewis and Officer Terrell get an F for initiating a stop based on a justification that the video evidence directly contradicts, unlawfully expanding the scope and duration of the detention through an extended drug interrogation unsupported by any reasonable suspicion, and violating the First and Fourth Amendment rights of both Mr. Rosales and Ms. Lassion through a series of constitutionally deficient searches and a blanket prohibition on recording.

[00:26:55]Officer Terrell told Mr. Rosales that the reason for the stop was simply that he failed to signal. A claim the dashboard camera footage flatly refutes.

[00:27:03]The 100 ft signaling requirement, which did not emerge as a legal justification until it was presented in subsequent court filings, was never mentioned on scene. And the gap between what the officers said at the time and what their lawyers argued later is itself significant, as it suggests a pretextual stop with a legal rationale constructed after the fact. Additionally, under the constitutional principles governing traffic stop extensions, unrelated questioning that measurably extends a stop's duration requires independent reasonable suspicion, and nothing in this encounter provided it. The frisk of Mr. Rosales was likewise constitutionally deficient, as he was calm, cooperative, had disclosed his firearm truthfully, and gave the officers no articulable reason to believe that he was armed and dangerous.

[00:27:49]The pocket search potentially added to that violation as the governing constitutional framework foreclosed using a frisk as a gateway to a pocket search absent an immediately apparent reason from the pat down itself and the coercive atmosphere of the detention renders any claim of voluntary consent deeply questionable. The officer's conduct implicated the first amendment as well with the officers flatly refusing to allow Mr. Rossales and Miss Lassion to film the encounter with their phones. Perhaps most telling, the officers spent portions of the stop audibly puzzling over why Mr. Rosales and Miss Lassion distrusted the police.

[00:28:27]Apparently, without recognizing that they were providing a real-time demonstration of exactly why they felt that way, Mr. Rosales and Ms. Lassion get an A for maintaining composure and cooperation throughout an unlawful and invasive detention, exercising their constitutional rights without escalation, and pursuing appropriate legal remedies in response to the violation of those rights. Mr. Rosales complied with the instructions given to him, disclosed the presence of his firearm voluntarily and truthfully, and answered the officer's extended interrogation calmly and without providing any incriminating information because there was none to provide.

[00:29:02]However, it should be noted that Mr. Rosales had no legal obligation to answer those questions or to empty his pockets. And while his decision to cooperate is understandable given the coercive atmosphere of the detention, doing so surrendered protections that the Constitution expressly affords him.

[00:29:19]Still, when Officer Lewis asked for permission to search the vehicle, Mr. Rosales declined, a decision that was entirely within his constitutional rights and stands as one of the most consequential choices that a citizen can make during an encounter of this kind.

[00:29:33]Miss Lassion similarly remained calm and cooperative throughout her own interrogation and repeatedly sought to exercise her first amendment right to record the encounter, a right the officers flatly refused to honor. Both Mr. Mr. Rosales and Miss Lassion asked pointed and legitimate questions about the basis for the stop without refusing to comply or escalating the encounter in any way that could have given the officers additional justification for their conduct. I commend Mr. Rosales and Ms. Lassion for their composure under pressure, the precise exercise of the right to refuse a vehicle search while remaining cooperative in all other respects, and their decision to seek legal accountability through the courts rather than through confrontation on the side of the road. Let us know if there is an interaction or legal topic that you would like us to discuss in the comments below. Thank you for watching and don't forget to check out Audit the Court if you're interested in learning more about the legal nuance beyond the body cam.

[00:30:32]>> [music] [music]