Liberty or Death

Where is the line between a First Amendment audit and pure trolling? 🎣 In early 2020 outside the Camp Verde Marshal’s Office in Camp Verde, Arizona, auditor James Freeman was photographing the law enforcement parking lot when Detective Mike Jardine approached and started questioning him. Freeman turned the tables, asking the detective the exact kinds of questions cops routinely ask civilians: • Where have you been today? • Have you been to the bar? • Are you drunk? (citing slurred speech) • Got any drugs on you? • Would you submit to a breathalyzer right now? He identified himself as an investigative journalist looking into corrupt officials. Jardine grew increasingly flustered, claimed Freeman was “on this property,” tried to order him to leave within five minutes, and eventually told him to “shut the hell up” and "get out of here". Freeman responded by telling the detective to get back in his office, do his job, quit drinking on the job, and declared him under investigation. *There is no real evidence of the drinking accusation. Shortly after the encounter, Jardine left the Camp Verde Marshal’s Office to become police chief for the Coyote Valley Reservation Police Department in California. Local reporting described him as a dedicated officer who had been named Detective of the Year by the American Legion. ❓Can you see why this would make an officer immediately uncomfortable? ❓Is asking police officers the same questions they ask us protected free speech or no? ❓If you're a police officer how would you handle a citizen investigating you the way you investigate them?

❓Why does the police response so frequently look like “we’re here to enforce what the caller wants” instead of “we’re here to assess the situation fairly”? In June 2026, First Amendment auditor Bay Area Transparency visited the Atrium Building in Eugene, OR, including the Public Works area, to film and request public records/business cards in what he described as publicly accessible spaces. Security told responding officers that the auditor had entered a staff-only area, refused to leave after being asked, and filmed inside offices. Eugene PD arrived: “I’m Lieutenant Ware, badge 634.” Other officers on scene included Officer Patrick Willis (badge 396) and Officer Matthew Grose (badge 616). The lieutenant issued a 72-hour trespass from the building, explaining that staff said the auditor made the workplace feel "uncomfortable". The auditor objected, arguing the order violated his First Amendment right to record in public areas and citing State of Oregon v. Murphy. He maintained he was not in restricted space and that the security account was inaccurate. Outcome: A 72-hour trespass was issued. No independent news coverage or official EPD statement specifically addressing this interaction has been publicly released. ❓How would you grade the lieutenant's actions as a supervisor in this video? Did he supervise? ❓Did Lt. Ware seem more concerned with shielding his officers from being recorded than with whether a constitutional right was being exercised? ❓Why is the default response almost always to treat the caller’s version as accurate until proven otherwise?

Do police officers understand that 'reasonable suspicion' must be of a specific crime, not just “something feels off”? I think many, if not most officers, do not understand the difference. 👇 On Aug 5, 2016, near the Florida Power & Light plant in Debary, Volusia County, FL, Army veteran & citizen journalist Jeff Gray (HonorYourOath) stood on a public sidewalk photographing the facility. Security called it in as a “suspicious person.” Deputy Cristal Bustamante and Deputy Richardson responded, contacted him, and demanded ID. They detained him while investigating, claiming the photography was suspicious even though it occurred from public property and was not illegal. Gray refused to produce ID, stating he was not being lawfully detained for a crime. After a period of questioning, Sgt. Ford arrived. Gray identified himself verbally as “Jeff,” and he was released with no charges. The case was closed as a suspicious-person report. ❓Why do some officers claim they need your ID “to know who we’re talking to” even when no crime is suspected? ❓Do most cops believe “everybody has to show ID we ask, because we got a call” when the law doesn’t actually say that? ❓When a cop is as wrong as Deputy Cristal Bustamante was, will they ever admit their ID demand was unlawful?