Man Refuses To Be Intimidated By Cops

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]Look on your computer on your in your car and uh look at a map and then see who's Okay. And what It's called Well, it sounds like you researched this to try and cause a problem.

[00:00:09]>> No, I Oh, yeah. Okay. I'm just saying that you did all >> Go ahead. That Make your best Make your best arguments. To what?

[00:00:16]>> That To bring this to court? To charge me with a crime?

[00:00:19]>> get The camp host rolled up acting like he owned the entire park, accusing the traveler of sleeping in a legal parking area, even though no posted rule actually prohibited sitting in a vehicle during the day.

[00:00:31]The driver calmly challenged every claim by pointing directly to the campground signs and demanding that the accusations match written policy instead of personal feelings.

[00:00:40]Under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, citizens are protected against unreasonable searches and seizures by government officials without reasonable suspicion of a crime.

[00:00:50]The moment police arrived, the entire tone changed because the officers quickly realized the man wasn't breaking any law, and the host had called them over a personal annoyance rather than an actual criminal violation.

[00:01:09]What's going on? Well, I just got hanging out here, so I don't know what the problem was cuz I read the rules.

[00:01:16]Well, everything you need to know the manager down here.

[00:01:20]Yeah, uh Butch.

[00:01:23]Yeah, I uh I was just hanging out here and he said that I was sleeping here or something, but there's nothing in the rules about that.

[00:01:30]Okay, but this isn't that this isn't part of the campground, so that's why This isn't the part of the campground, you say?

[00:01:41]No, but you you just All right, you're fine. I'm not Okay. Okay. All right.

[00:01:47]Yeah, just cuz uh I mean I don't I don't have uh Wi-Fi access right now. Yep.

[00:01:55]So, I I'm not able to actually check, but I mean I I'm I do have Google Maps um uploaded and it's it's saying that this is a campground and park.

[00:02:08]So, I mean I I mean that's a part of the campgrounds.

[00:02:14]And then if you look at if you look at this part of the campground or the park, I think this this road separates the two, in my opinion. And then this half would be the dog park and I guess you could fish. I walked down there after he we talked. He talked to me at 5:00, roughly, a little bit before 5:00.

[00:02:34]Yep. Um and yeah, I I see there's parking.

[00:02:38]There's not not every space. I mean, we this is legal Instead of panicking, the traveler stayed calm, recorded the interaction, and forced the officers to explain exactly what rule he had violated on public property.

[00:02:51]The cops admitted the issue was simply that the camp host thought he might stay overnight without paying, even though the man repeatedly stated he planned to leave before curfew.

[00:03:00]The Supreme Court has long held that public parks are traditional public forums, protected under the First Amendment, for lawful activity and expression. With every respectful question, the driver exposed how weak the complaint really was, turning what could have been harassment into a lesson on constitutional rights and lawful public access. Your parking, right? This isn't a designated campsites.

[00:03:24]And I see it's $20 for both tents and RVs. Yep. In the park in the campground In the yeah.

[00:03:31]Yeah, okay. And if I mean, we could just It'd be easier if we stood right next to that big rule sign and if you go down the list of what uh he thinks I'm violating. He's making up things that have nothing to do with what's on written. He's saying I'm sleeping here, that's not allowed, I need to leave. And he's telling me this at 5:00 p.m.

[00:03:52]I mean >> Yeah, because he he says that you were here all day.

[00:03:56]Well, okay, what's the problem with that?

[00:03:59]Is this a if you were here sleeping cuz you got your car set up to sleep in.

[00:04:02]>> I'm just here I'm just hanging out.

[00:04:05]I mean, if he has some some proof, I mean, if he wants to take this to court or some kind of criminal charge that we want to file with the your DA on this, bring bring the evidence. I'd like I'd request to see it.

[00:04:17]>> He's the one who's managing this and he wants you to leave the property.

[00:04:19]>> Yeah, but what am I violating? There's nothing in the rule It feels like I'm being picked on beyond what the rules say.

[00:04:26]>> to camp, you can go to one of the camping spots and then you can pay $20 and then you can camp here.

[00:04:31]>> Yeah, I'm looking at I'm looking at I was just going to hang out in a park unless you guys can recommend another park where I won't get uh harassed. I I wanted to hang out during the daytime and minding my own business and then take off and uh about sundown and go go shop at Walmart.

[00:04:52]I mean, that's it. I This is a spot that I just picked. I mean, I didn't I didn't know what the what I I I I didn't see any relation to a uh a campground here. I didn't park in the space, you know. I didn't hook up to electricity, the the sewage, um whatever else whatever other >> Yeah, if you want to enjoy the dog park, you can take your dog up to the dog park. Well, okay. I don't I don't have a dog. Okay.

[00:05:20]But then so then you're just hanging out here. Yeah, I mean It's what? You You're so like you're trying to create a divide like you're either camping here >> not creating any divide. You're trying to make a bigger issue out of this than it actually is. No, no.

[00:05:34]>> make this a big YouTube thing like Daily Roman. Hey, I'm I'm just I'm just documenting. I'm sure you guys are doing it.

[00:05:40]>> Yeah, I'm sure you guys are documenting, too, right? Obviously, yeah.

[00:05:44]I want to cover my bases so I want to make sure that every word, you know, is is clearly spoken and and understood.

[00:05:52]>> What? It That's right. Instead of, you know, instead of, you know, you writing a statement or whatever, and you know, it's a he's he's cursing, and it's just it's just that paperwork, where it's like, I said this, you said What? I'm not writing any statement. Well, I don't know how far you want to take it. You say, "I'm going to take it far." And how far are you going to take it? Cuz I mean, I I plan What I plan to do is just I I'd like to hang out here until about sundown and then get out. I I saw that the curfew is 10:30.

[00:06:22]I mean, this this guy has more of a personal problem than a a policy problem.

[00:06:27]>> I'll go talk to him. Our host.

[00:06:28]>> Okay.

[00:06:29]It sounds like more of a personal problem than a policy problem to me.

[00:06:34]Uh E Ewald Yep, Ewald. All right. R.

[00:06:37]Ewald. That's blue line. That's pretty fancy.

[00:06:41]Yeah.

[00:06:44]So, uh yeah, I mean, there was there was no fights, man. I recorded a little bit of our interaction, too. I mean, And nobody said we're fighting. No, that's not what >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. What was Whatever your dispatch got as a part of a call, I saw him on the phones, you know, looking or whatever. He He said he is the police of the city.

[00:07:05]I mean, The city hired him to run this.

[00:07:11]Yeah, yeah. It's a city property.

[00:07:13]Yep. And he's and he's uh He's the one that's responsible >> a very He's not a very hos- hospitable host.

[00:07:19]More of a hostile host.

[00:07:22]This guy. Well, got rules again.

[00:07:25]Yeah, yeah, yeah. Got a job here to do.

[00:07:26]And there's the rules. We can walk over to that sign. Let's go down the You want to walk over there? Well, if we were in the RV park, I would. Okay. All right.

[00:07:34]Yeah, and see, you ever hear of Regrid?

[00:07:36]What do you use for like for maps to tell who owns what property? I use Regrid. You know the Regrid app? You ever hear of that? What what what what program do you use to determine who owns what property? You must cuz I know it's So we have the Jackson County beacon. You can look on your computer on your in your car and look at a map and then see who's Okay.

[00:08:05]And what is called It also sounds like you researched just to try and cause a problem. The traveler knew the difference between a request and a lawful order, which is why he never handed over identification when no crime had occurred.

[00:08:16]He even explained to the officers that many states require reasonable suspicion before police can compel identification from someone peacefully occupying a public space.

[00:08:25]In Hiibel versus Sixth Judicial District Court, the Supreme Court ruled officers may only require identification when supported by lawful reasonable suspicion during a valid stop. That legal knowledge completely shifted the power dynamic because the officers understood they could not escalate the situation without risking a constitutional violation caught on camera. No, I Oh yeah, okay.

[00:08:48]>> I'm the same cuz >> Make your arguments. Go ahead. Make your best Make your best arguments. To what?

[00:08:54]To bring this to court. To charge me with a crime.

[00:08:56]>> Am I trying to charge you with a crime?

[00:08:57]Did I say you were doing anything that was illegal? Did I ask Okay. for anything like that? Did I I've I've had I've had I've had issues in the past with property disputes.

[00:09:05]>> I would agree. I would have assumed because this is what you seem to be trying to set up. You're prepared having a argument or a fight with me. And I don't want to have any fight, man.

[00:09:13]>> have have have been training me. You know? I've been training you? Yeah. You you you know.

[00:09:17]>> first time I ever met you and I don't even know your name. Um you don't know my name? Oh well, that's that's fine.

[00:09:22]I'm going to just I didn't ask you for your >> to I'm going to grab something right in here. Go ahead.

[00:09:27]You you can see.

[00:09:30]>> [clears throat] >> This is another camera. Oh, okay.

[00:09:34]Yeah, you guys No, you guys have been training me. When you said that, I was like, "Yeah, sometimes you guys have put me in handcuffs."

[00:09:41]I don't want to do that. Well, no, no, it's That's fine. If you put me in handcuffs, I'll still have some cameras running, okay? Cuz it seems like that happens.

[00:09:49]>> That's not That's not what I want to do at all.

[00:09:51]>> No, it's not >> I just wanted to have a talk with you about why you were in the park all day.

[00:09:54]Yeah, yeah. I'm just The park host is the one who who called us down here.

[00:09:59]Yeah, and that's unfortunate. This happened at 5:00. You checked your your clock. That was like, what, 2 hours ago?

[00:10:05]He must have called the non-emergency line or something.

[00:10:08]But uh I mean, I'm just I'm just hanging out. It's I've been in this spot since, I don't know, this morning.

[00:10:14]And >> Yeah, all day is what he said. Yeah.

[00:10:16]>> So, you said You plan on leaving by dark? Yeah. Anyway, he said you're fine to stay here until >> Oh, I'm fine now. Okay. As long as you're not sleeping here. So, that was the issue he had. No, and it's it's I just >> If you want to stay at the park, there's a definitely parking spots in >> and I can think about that, but I'm definitely I'm going to say I'm definitely not spending the night here.

[00:10:34]Okay. He said as long as you're gone by by curfew, then Yeah, it said 10:30. I was Yep, he said it's a good fit.

[00:10:41]We have no issue.

[00:10:42]>> Chalk this up as a good interaction, then, man. Yeah, I I post I post good interactions, I post bad interactions. I was actually after this 2-hour time frame, I was just going to post our interaction. I thought that you guys would have laughed them off. I thought you guys would have said >> trying to sit here and bust your balls or anything else. No. I mean, we're I want you to get back to, you know, maybe better, you know, more important issues than this. I don't I don't want to take up your time. It's unfortunate that this this happened. Um if there's something that maybe he doesn't understand that can be explained to him for future. Um I might be an anomaly, I might be like a you know, outlier of the He There's been problems in the past with people coming here, staying, and not paying. And you know, he's trying to avoid that thing.

[00:11:26]>> he'll see that at night. And I mean, yeah, there's a sign that says no camping on the hill, and I get the impression that's an old sign >> Yeah. and that this is a new dog park.

[00:11:36]It did say it's a new dog park. Okay.

[00:11:38]Yeah, I mean it looks like it's just kind of You're a year old or 2 years old, I think. It's not okay. Yeah. Yeah, you know, it's it's interesting for me to come to new places and and see these unique things cuz there's, you know, layers on top of layers over over time of of changes that happen. It's it's interesting. Yep. I've had some bad park hosts that give me a hard time of hanging out nearby.

[00:12:03]Yep. Even >> [clears throat] >> even park managers. Right. They'll have a problem with me just hanging out. And I mean it's it's a park.

[00:12:10]I mean they're they're sucking off the government teeth just like I guess I am kind of taking advantage of of the free property to hang out on for the day.

[00:12:19]You know, like you guys sucking off the government teeth, enjoying that money.

[00:12:24]I'm kind of enjoying the government benefits in my own way.

[00:12:28]So, there's, you know, but still there's conflicts within that. Little little bit of a you know, management. You know, he thinks he's the the cop of the city, you know, that lords over me and tells me what to do because I'm not in the payroll of sorts.

[00:12:46]I I guess I don't understand what you're getting at, but Well, it's okay. Okay.

[00:12:50]>> If you're good to go by He will then then you want you to say something? Yep.

[00:12:53]Cop KOPP Cop Cop Okay.

[00:12:58]All right.

[00:12:58]>> [laughter] >> Yeah, so I mean it's I'm here. Yeah, this this uh He said as long as you're just gone by Yeah, and I mean he'll call again, you know, I'm sure. I'm telling you my intentions. I want to leave when the sun sun's down, but it's actually cooling down and it's about that time frame for me.

[00:13:15]>> Beautiful day. But the next few days are going to be a little difficult in the 90s, I guess. But today today it's been cool. It's been a nice wind chill even though it's it's been a hot um, great sun all day.

[00:13:29]Been in Maquoketa before? Uh, how do you spell it? How do you how do you pronounce it?

[00:13:32]>> Maquoketa. Maquoketa. Yeah, yeah.

[00:13:35]Maquoketa.

[00:13:35]>> Maquoketa, okay.

[00:13:37]No, I came from the south. I've been traveling from the south, moving north for the warmer weather. I know I'm about 30 miles from the Wisconsin border. Yep.

[00:13:46]I mean, I I'm heading kind of in that direction, just straight from Louisiana.

[00:13:52]I've been I mean, you see Washington >> Uh, yeah. Yeah, I just been making small jumps like this. I'm I'm a bum. I take my time traveling and and stopping places and and relax. So, I I I have some intentions of visiting the library tomorrow here actually. I mean Okay. Good deal. So, I mean, I don't plan on coming back.

[00:14:13]>> There's some great viewing points. Have you Have you heard about Bellevue?

[00:14:16]There's caves, aren't there? Maquoketa caves. Maquoketa caves? Maquoketa Caves State Park. It's outside of the city?

[00:14:22]Yep. Okay. And you said I'm sorry, what?

[00:14:25]Bellevue. I mean, a lot of people go there. You're saying river views? You got Yeah. Bellevue. Which would be 25 30 miles north of here. So, you spell it what? Bellevue. Bellevue? Yep, they have a Bellevue State Park and Oh, state park. Yep. All right, and this is in Illinois? Or Iowa? Iowa. We're in Iowa. So, Iowa will I think Iowa will I know all Iowa state parks are free. I think. And then I don't know anything about others. I think all I think in Iowa all state parks are free and then other states will charge in different whatever the whatever, um, level the park is at, you know, depends on the cost. But all Iowa. But they'll still be hard. I've had park rangers I got internet channel with the people giving me a hard time about being parked and I've had some Iowa park rangers couple of two of them give me a hard time.

[00:15:16]Nats aren't so bad uh, further west. Yeah, they're they're bad here. I I don't know what to expect.

[00:15:22]It's perfect climate for them right now.

[00:15:23]has been a study for me. I I never had a I've been in the western half up and down.

[00:15:28]Nats have not really been a problem, but Hey, here they're bad. Around here, yeah. I know the Mississippi I you know, I traveled the Mississippi River and uh I assume that they mostly like to concentrate there.

[00:15:41]But they they spread out.

[00:15:43]And they're in pockets. Yeah. Some cities will have a bad problem and some won't. A- And in the morning if it's cold in the morning they won't be out until maybe the afternoon.

[00:15:53]I'm kind of I'm kind of following uh their their pattern. It's This this uh this is kind of bad. This is in the medium level for for my experience of with the nats. Sometimes they'll come at you with in clouds.

[00:16:06]Yeah.

[00:16:07]Yeah, you get hit with And there's there's this uh city north of here that's the mosquitoes come out during the daytime.

[00:16:13]It's really weird.

[00:16:15]Yeah. But yeah, you you guys you guys are called and your city your city police, okay.

[00:16:21]And uh yeah, you you uh you um uh watch over >> As the conversation continued, the camp host's frustration became more obvious, while the officers slowly backed away from confrontation and focused on de-escalation instead.

[00:16:37]The traveler pointed out that public employees cannot invent rules based on emotions or treat citizens differently simply because they dislike how someone looks or lives.

[00:16:47]The 14th Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law and prohibits arbitrary enforcement by government actors.

[00:16:54]Once the officers acknowledged he was free to remain until curfew, the entire complaint collapsed into nothing more than a government employee trying to bully someone out of a public area.

[00:17:04]watch over the the city property and this is part of city property. You know you know the lines. Google Maps has done a pretty good job of of they're starting to put lines when you when you click on a park they'll put red dotted lines around the the uh the proper the proper for the property lines they'll they'll mark that. But uh I I didn't actually see it for this one here.

[00:17:27]But some some parks they'll do that.

[00:17:30]Cuz uh Yeah, I've I've had I've had issues I've like I've kind of I've parked out kind of out too far outside of park area, but it was part of city property and I was told it's private property.

[00:17:42]You know, thanks for not telling me this is >> 10-2. This was uh not pri- This is not private property. You didn't You didn't tell me that.

[00:17:49]You You stuck with this is city property.

[00:17:51]You didn't come up and demand ID.

[00:17:54]That's you know, that's your approach.

[00:17:56]I'm guessing you you might know uh a little bit You respect the Constitution a little bit more than other people.

[00:18:03]All right. You know, you don't come up and demand ID just you know, after asking three times and arrest me over it.

[00:18:11]But you know, I I actually have to admit I don't quite There's no crime here.

[00:18:15]Okay. Yeah, I I don't I don't believe we have any hostile things going between each other.

[00:18:20]Yeah. Yeah, it's There's There's There's different Every state there's the laws for disorderly conduct or trespassing that's slightly different. Okay.

[00:18:31]And uh yeah, you have to commit a crime before I before you can demand ID. You can ask for my ID. I mean, you can still at least You can still at least do that.

[00:18:40]Hey, you got any ID on you? I mean, you're still within your legal boundaries.

[00:18:44]>> Right.

[00:18:44]But You want me to go panhandling or bouncing?

[00:18:48]And then yeah, I then I well, I like to I like to ask for ID in exchange. So, I'm I'm willing to exchange IDs. If I could get an ID uh in exchange. Cuz you know, under the Fifth Amendment if I have to surrender property to you, then I I ask for equal compensation in return. All right. But I mean, besides that I mean, I also have Fourth Amendment, too.

[00:19:11]Yep. But I turn to the fifth amendment to try to uh um create a a bridge over over the conflict in the conflict I try to raise a white flag type of thing just just try to try to I try to do it equal equal exchange you know in a way just with the the conversation. I mean I I like to learn a little bit about your you as well as you know as much as you want to learn about me.

[00:19:38]Just just uh Well, to to educate other people about this situation.

[00:19:46]You know go And as long as you remain calm Yeah, like the don't look like I'm on anything. Okay. Yeah, it's uh It's it's educational for for yourselves and it's educational for me. I have an opportunity to educate and and let people know on social media. Social media has been really a great avenue to to bridge to to to clear up confusion.

[00:20:10]Right? Between between police and the public in a lot of ways.

[00:20:15]Um there's I mean there's bad cops among the good cops.

[00:20:20]Unfortunately.

[00:20:22]Yeah, and that that makes the good cops look kind of bad. So, it's levels out there see you know it's everybody's going to be on guard over over situations. And me my response is just just record it and and and talk about my my constitutional rights. Right. Um with depending on the level of severity. And it was pretty I'll have to say it's pretty intense with him. I'm going to upload the video with him, but he was he's saying I he beeped his horn I I got to go.

[00:20:56]I I was sleeping here all day.

[00:20:58]He's the he's the police.

[00:21:01]I mean he's He's a park ranger. He's Yeah.

[00:21:04]But I mean he wasn't trained as a cop.

[00:21:07]He's He's just only using his own his his emotions his his own experience. I mean does he have police training for for esco- de-escalation procedures? Cuz the situation That makes a difference between a citizen and police, right?

[00:21:24]Yeah, your officers. Just Just like you have officers in the court with the the lawyers, they're officers. They They represent. They have They have a higher standard of of conduct they have to live by. You can't just You can't be joking around cuz it could be you know misinterpreted. If you If you joke around you have to be straightforward.

[00:21:45]Yeah. You know your interactions. You don't want to cause confusion with with the conversation. He was Actually his manager said he was surprised that you guys didn't come out sooner to kick me out. He said that.

[00:21:58]I thought that was interesting. But it just it they don't We've had issues in the past and they want to change. We don't We don't want people camping here for free in the in the campground. Yeah.

[00:22:08]>> So that's the idea. And it doesn't look that busy. I I I don't know like what the deal is why I mean there's some campgrounds that are just packed and you need a reservation weeks in advance. And then you got Yeah, it it gets packed sometimes. There's There's events, right? There's certain events. Maybe you have a special yearly thing for the city, big parade or something, concert.

[00:22:31]What's What's it called? Jackson County Fair. Oh, okay. All right. That's a different fairgrounds or something.

[00:22:36]Yeah, and they'll Yeah, they'll get busy then for events. But there's some campgrounds that are like just for the season. They're They're packed. They can be packed, too.

[00:22:46]Not just single events, but I mean this one I don't I don't know. I would think if a park host is as aggressive as he is I I would think maybe people might get turned off by that. I'm I'm definitely And I'm not going to be making him look good on you know And it's it's him it's his own doing the he how he approached me, the things he said to me. All right.

[00:23:07]Coming up to me and and telling me I was I was being a smartass.

[00:23:13]So, I told him to told him to go walk his dog up the on the hill. He told him He asked me if I had a dog. I asked him if he had a do- a dog. And and he said yes, and I'm like, "Well, why don't you go take it for a walk." You know, I just turned to tell him to you know, cool down in a way, go away and you know, cuz it I think it's it's just maybe emotion from something else. Maybe he he had some Maybe his his manager is kicking him, so he's got to kick kick somebody else.

[00:23:38]>> That's how it usually goes, isn't it?

[00:23:40]Yeah, it is.

[00:23:40]>> Unfortunately, we don't take it out on the people that sometimes deserve to take it out on.

[00:23:44]>> Yeah, you don't you don't have a self- enough of a self-reflection. You don't Yeah, you don't You don't Yeah, you don't turn around and and tell the manager, you know, "Hey, I don't I don't respect your opinion on something." Yep.

[00:23:55]You got to take it out on somebody who can maybe make an easier victim.

[00:23:59]>> I guess. Yep. Unfortunately.

[00:24:01]All right. Well, we'll leave you to it, man. Okay, you know, you'll be able to watch sunset just All right. And uh, yeah, you'll you'll you'll see me in the Walmart parking lot tonight. Okay. So, Okay. Have a good one. Okay. All right.

[00:24:13]>> on your trip. Yeah, all right. Yeah, thanks.

[00:25:14]>> By the end of the encounter, the traveler had completely flipped the situation, turning a suspicious police call into a calm constitutional discussion recorded for the internet to see.

[00:25:24]The officers ultimately left without issuing a citation, demanding identification, or forcing him off the property because they knew there was no lawful basis to do so.

[00:25:34]Under the First Amendment, citizens have the protected right to record police officers performing their duties in public places.

[00:25:41]What began as another attempt to intimidate a lone traveler ended with the so-called authorities walking away empty-handed while the smart driver stood his ground using nothing but patience, cameras, and knowledge of the law.