Palm Beach Sheriff's Sergeant Handcuffs Man for Video Recording Sheriff's Building

By Carlos Miller
PINAC
Jul. 22, 2013

A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s sergeant handcuffed a man for video recording a sheriff’s department from a public sidewalk, an action he found suspicious.

But video recording government buildings from public sidewalks is completely legal and no grounds for detainment.

If anything, the man committed the crime of keeping his phone in the vertical position while recording, but we’ll forgive him considering it’s appears to be his first video.

Sergeant Brooke L. Thomas, Sr. begins by demanding his identification, but the man refuses on the basis he is not committing a crime.

The man then insists on asking to speak to a supervisor, but Thomas insinuates he is the top dog.

They go back and forth as we’ve seen so many times before until the man agrees to allow Thomas to frisk him.

Big mistake.

Thomas then orders him against the car with his hands over his head, ordering to spread his legs as he pats him down and even goes into the man’s backpack.

After the frisk, the man accuses the sergeant of frisking him illegally but the sergeant points out that the man allowed him to do so, which goes to show you the mind games these goons play.

Thomas continues to insist on knowing his name. The man continues to assert his right not to identify himself, even offering his first name, “Chris,” but that is not enough for the sergeant, who ends up handcuffing him.

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