When armed with knowledge of the law AND the ability to discern WHEN and HOW to deploy that knowledge against an officer who’s running rough shod over your rights - is AWESOME. Getting it on video so that others can learn from and share that experience is PRICELESS!

Why is this important? Rights are the barrier that separates you from a cage. And just like an unused muscle, your rights are subject to the most extreme forms of atrophy. Your failure to exercise your rights inevitably leads to the loss of those rights and, at times, the looming reality of the most unspeakable bondage.

So, what if you were standing on a public side walk video recording and two armed gang members approach you, ask you to identify yourself, start assaulting you when you don’t comply with their request, tie you up, throw you in the back of their car and transport you to a cage where they keep you until they’re ready to let you out? And while you’re sitting in that cage, they call some of their buddies who steal your car and take it to their property. Would their actions be right or wrong? Would it matter of the two thugs weren’t Crips or Bloods, but belonged the largest, most powerful, most organized gang in the neighborhood called the state police?

With virtually unlimited funds, these badged enforcers have the resources and power to make your life a living nightmare.
Under normal circumstances, when someone assaults you, you can fight back to protect yourself or your loved ones. But when officers harass or attack you, your retaliation will certainly bring the wrath and full force of the state upon your head, complete with reinforcements, helicopters in the air, dogs on the ground and you either behind bars or taking up the next cabinet space in the local morgue. Unfortunately, bad cops have the power to harm you and your family, steal your property, ruin your public record, imprison you for life and financially bankrupt you.

So what do you do? Do you roll over and just let them get away with their disregard for justice? Or do you stand up for principle and hold these costumed thugs accountable? Isn’t it at this point that Jefferson’s assertion springs to life? “when in justice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.”
It’s really the duty of the people to rid themselves of their ignorance and stand on the high ground of useful knowledge. Knowledge is power and a plethora of examples should tell you that bad cops love to take advantage of those who don’t possess that power.
First, you need to know that you have the right to film any public servant, at any time in any public place, for any reason. Glick vs. Cuniffe established this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glik_v._Cunniffe

Here’s the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=537&v=lmjfRUBacF0

And even if it didn’t the First Amendment and Fourth Amendments of the Bill of Rights firmly establishes it.
And even if that didn’t exist, the law of common sense trumps it all. If you encounter a public servant, then any member of the public has a right to record any servant who claims to serve them.
Next, unless you’re operating a motor vehicle or you’re flying a commercial airline and except in these states you NEVER have to provide an ID to anyone upon request. Even in these stop and identify states, the request must accompany the officer’s “reasonable suspicion” that you have committed, are committing or will commit a crime. And this suspicion must be specifically articulated. If they can articulate why they reasonably suspect you, they can, according to the courts, legally detain you.
A way to quickly test this is by asking the officer, “am I being detained, or am I free to go?” If he says you’re not being detained…take that opportunity to walk away. If he says he is detaining you, ask him to specifically articulate his reasonable suspicion that you have committed a crime.
If you’re detained, you’ll have to decide if withholding your identity is worth the possibility of arrest or a prolonged detention.

Considering the current situation...those rights wouldn't matter coz you would most probably be shot anyway

true, but it doesn't help to not stand up for your rights, only makes it worse for the future...

Sometimes when you stand up for your rights them pigs can turn it around back at u with some crap like resisting arrest or disorderly ect....i've seen it

You are right.
Knowledge is power.
I would not want to be a policewoman/man in this day and age.
And it goes both ways....a bit of respect for authority goes a long way.

yes this is true and the public has no knowledge of how often the police are brutalized, spit on, feces thrown, urine sprayed, vomited on, assaulted and verbally abused.. just pointing out there are two sides to all abuse,,,,

mostly thats true, but the power cops have corrupts them, so respect doesn't always mean the cops will give it in return... knowing your rights is the best way to counter this...

Case by case scenario...Wariness should not turn into paranoia...

yeah...& your new hair colour looks great & vibrant....kinda reminds me of goldilocks

Thank you Romeo

Truer words can't be spoken
Cases by case is the only way to go.
It is good to know your rights and what recourse you have
if and when they are violated

Case by case is the root of this problem. Name one case where failure to signal a lane change properly for someone who has not committed any other crime and has no outstanding warrants ends with them being jailed. Other than the Sandra Bland case. Any?
We saw the officer use excessive force, threaten to "light her up" with his tazer then openly lie to his supervisor about " trying to deescalate her but she just wasn't going for it".
The actions of that bad cop wasn't paranoia, it was criminal.
The "missed" cell check and her subsequent hanging... She failed to signal properly, she didn't have a trunk full of illegal guns, kilos of cocaine, dead bodies, or anything. She failed to signal properly. Minor moving violation, they don't try that in criminal court.

I was meaning the public should be wary...for those exact reasons you have pointed out.
Not all police are whack jobs.

omg, you think you can argue like that and just do what you want with police?

even a traffic stop, you are technically under arrest... that goes for black people too, since you seem to forget that...

No. I know I'm not under arrest until I am told I'm under arrest for committing an actual crime. I know I have rights. Miranda law covers everyone too. Even black PEOPLE. Snake...

you lose any rights if you have even an IOTA of evidence that you ever did anything wrong ,,lol

than its just what you deserve for being so less than perfect,,,

None of my business but may be some of you may agree on this. As i recall from working in the US; 92-98, resident then in Richmond, Va; used to drive all the way to DC and sometimes to NYC, etc. never actually met a black cop (as they show in TV). Worked with black Americans but don't recall any policemen. The ratio looks way down.

Meh...
I smile and show my I.D..
The "cops", usually get a sheepish grin, apologise for the inconvenience, and tell me to have a good day.
Then they go away.

Are you a superhero in disguise on here and out there?

Not at all.
But, I'm not entirely unknown.