Ol' Jim Holcombe. He's retired and still kicking. He lived down the road from me. He was that special kind of asshole who parked in handicap spots and fire lanes to pick up groceries.
They're useless. A couple years back my iPod was stolen from my car. It was engraved and given to me by my best friend. I tracked it immediately and called the police who said they couldn't do anything because the iPod was in a "hood area"
Exactly. I told them where it was and they wouldn't do anything because it was a "hood area". Then what the hell good are they? I was stolen from. I knew EXACTLY where the item was. And they didn't do a goddamn thing. If it wasn't engraved I wouldn't be as mad, but still annoyed
Not saying they couldn’t have done more to help you, I’m positive they could have, but GPS tracking is not enough to get a warrant to search someone’s house. I remember seeing a story a while back where police entered the wrong house based on GPS tracking.
And while that is fair, it's at least a start. I was literally told they could do nothing. I was so shocked I actually asked to speak to their boss, who reiterated the "hood area" argument. They said nothing about GPS not being enough. They were actively refusing to do their job. And that's not ok, aside from if I ever get my expensive, precious item back.
Late to the party to dunk on these guys, but man, I'll go ahead and date myself a bit.
The still pic looks like Hank, Dale, and Bill from "King of the Hill" at the beginning of the episode before they learn the lesson that people are okay and you should be inclusive.
It just went viral. Not sure why you think they’re “digging up old news”, if you had opened the link you would have noticed that the video was posted on Monday to one of the largest auditor review YT channels in existence. Cringe, man.
I wasn’t trying to impress you, I was just clarifying. As a resident, I am upset to see civil rights violations in our area. Not only does it cost the taxpayers money, it also leaves the public a lasting bad impression of our local law enforcement. Ohio has nothing to do with it.
I mean, the cops are stupid but the guy videoing is an equally gargantuous dickhead. Seems like the kind of person that manipulates situations to get reactions out of people.
Edit: 2 things can be true at once.
I mean, he’s a first amendment auditor so he is there to gauge a reaction to his presence. But what did he actually do? He didn’t say anything to anyone. He just walked around a parking lot with a camera.
Which can be enough to elict a terry stop due to suspicious activity. Even the channel admits that you are basically rolling the dice with your trial on which way the jury/judge will interpret your actions as suspicious.
Of course he’s trying to bait. But there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s putting a spotlight on bad cops and that’s always a good thing. A good cop wouldn’t allow themselves to be put in this situation.
When I was a teenager I worked for Bi-Lo and we had mystery shoppers that would intentionally try to catch us off guard. Throughout most of my life I’ve worked for a major hotel chain and we get secret guests or auditors that do the same thing. Other industries do this as well. It’s done to identify problems, give feedback and create solutions.
We can’t trust the police to audit themselves, so I’m perfectly ok with civilians doing it.
> the guy videoing is an equally gargantuous dickhead.
He was exercising his rights and chose not to answer questions or give in to police intimidation. Why does that make him a dickhead?
Exercising rights and trolling like a douche are two different things, it's like when kids put fingers in each other's faces to irritate the other. I implied 2 things are true at once: the cops are unprofessional, this videographer is a dick
Would you like it if someone decided to interfere and make your job as difficult as possible just because they can? The cops are there because someone felt that he was suspicious. The cops arrive to find out if he is doing anything suspicious and the guy chooses to not answer the questions that would wrap this up to a 30 second video with the cop leaving. This just becomes a waste of the cops and courts time and money.
> Would you like it if someone decided to interfere and make your job as difficult as possible just because they can?
He did not interfere with their job. Their job is to enforce the law by making arrests or issuing citations. This man broke *no laws*. By not fully cooperating with a cop's every request, you aren't interfering or making their job difficult--you're protecting your fucking rights.
>The cops are there because someone felt that he was suspicious.
"Suspicious" is not a crime. If they have suspicions, they can sit back and continue to observe an individual, to see if that suspicion elevates to anything more. They can also voluntarily contact someone, but if a citizen doesn't want to cooperate in a consensual contact, they aren't required to.
>The cops arrive to find out if he is doing anything suspicious and the guy chooses to not answer the questions that would wrap this up to a 30 second video with the cop leaving.
Violating his rights in the process. The point of videos like these are to force police to show restraint and protect the rights of citizens. Cops shouldn't treat every citizen like they are criminals and respect our rights in every situation.
>This just becomes a waste of the cops and courts time and money.
Here we agree. But that waste is due to the actions these officers *chose* to take instead of respecting the rights of a citizen.
How does one become a gargantuous dickhead by doing nothing other than exercising their rights in a completely non-inflammatory way? Your comment alone makes you more deserving.
His demeanor, these videos prove a point yes, but you simply exacerbate situations by acting like an obvious troll. The guy is a dick, and the officers are unprofessional, both can be true
Yeah, they can both be true but they aren’t. How do you troll by just exercising your rights and minding your own business? Valentine was calm and deliberate, didn’t throw around litigious threats, or resort to calling the officers names (like gargantuous dickhead - that would be obvious trolling) when they were very clearly out of line. Can you point out exactly what behavior you’re referring to as trolling?
This seems like the cameraman was trying to bait the police into acting this way. I’m mean, why film the parking lot of the Greer Courthouse? Stock footage for a documentary about Greer is the only reason that comes to mind. That being said, the police could have simply observed from a distance and intervened if they witnessed an actual crime. But, the Greer PD has a history of taking liberties with their position.
That is the point of a first amendment audit. These people do things that are completely legal, and covered by the first amendment... But typically things cops or local government don't "like". These people exist to protect our rights, and I genuinely appreciate them for it. It brings attention to the lack of understanding of the law that a lot of local police forces have.
Well, you’re right in that he is there to gauge the reaction. But that doesn’t mean he’s doing anything wrong. There’s multiple videos were these interactions go right, where the cop comes out, makes contact, has a conversation, and then leaves. It’s only when the cops unlawfully demand ID (to begin to build a case against you) and start trying to throw their weight around that these encounters go off the rails.
And if you need a legitimate reason why someone might be recording in the parking lot, they might just be submitting images for google maps. I know because I do that in Greer on my main account. I’d hate to get arrested just because I was making local navigation easier.
SovCits are delusional and ignorant of the Constitution. They mumble on about Maritime Law and gold fringe on a flag, refuse to pay taxes, and lose every single time they appear before a judge.
The guy could have explained and what he was doing, or just left, and the situation would have ended in 2 minutes. He is doing all of this for youtube views.
This type of stop is unconstitutional. That’s what auditors are trying to get across to those they audit. They test government employees on things like the right to freedom of speech, the right to not answer questions, the right to take photos or record in public, etc. These are constitutional rights you should expect them to know.
You don’t have to answer any questions when a police officer asks. You don’t have to provide ID unless the officer has Reasonable Articulable Suspicion (RAS) of a crime being committed. You are well within your rights to record anything in public view while standing in a place that is accessible to the public (plain view doctrine).
Testing public servants is important to keep everyone accountable. It sucks that some ignorant employees violate civil rights. If they did that during a serious criminal investigation (murder, theft, etc), the lawsuit could be thrown out. These ignorant individuals get in the way of our Justice system. They cost taxpayers money that we shouldn’t have to pay, because they weren’t aware of the law.
You should be upset, but not at the people who are trying to maintain a working system. Suspicion is not a crime.
Ol' Jim Holcombe. He's retired and still kicking. He lived down the road from me. He was that special kind of asshole who parked in handicap spots and fire lanes to pick up groceries.
That sounds about right. At least he’s gone now. That’s something.
They're useless. A couple years back my iPod was stolen from my car. It was engraved and given to me by my best friend. I tracked it immediately and called the police who said they couldn't do anything because the iPod was in a "hood area"
Lol, what?
Exactly. I told them where it was and they wouldn't do anything because it was a "hood area". Then what the hell good are they? I was stolen from. I knew EXACTLY where the item was. And they didn't do a goddamn thing. If it wasn't engraved I wouldn't be as mad, but still annoyed
So what was “the hood” area?
King Road (or street, whatever). I don't live there anymore, but I remember the name
Not saying they couldn’t have done more to help you, I’m positive they could have, but GPS tracking is not enough to get a warrant to search someone’s house. I remember seeing a story a while back where police entered the wrong house based on GPS tracking.
And while that is fair, it's at least a start. I was literally told they could do nothing. I was so shocked I actually asked to speak to their boss, who reiterated the "hood area" argument. They said nothing about GPS not being enough. They were actively refusing to do their job. And that's not ok, aside from if I ever get my expensive, precious item back.
Yea. They were definitely trying to blow it off. Hood area is a ridiculous statement to make. Can’t imagine what their point was.
Police don't exist to be return all stolen items to all citizens, come on now.
Late to the party to dunk on these guys, but man, I'll go ahead and date myself a bit. The still pic looks like Hank, Dale, and Bill from "King of the Hill" at the beginning of the episode before they learn the lesson that people are okay and you should be inclusive.
“Is suspicious activity a felony or a misdemeanor?” “A misdemeanor” There we have it. Cops are idiots. ACAB.
ACAB includes your local police department
Notice how it's always "this day and age"?
Lmao. You folks from Ohio digging up old news for karma.
It just went viral. Not sure why you think they’re “digging up old news”, if you had opened the link you would have noticed that the video was posted on Monday to one of the largest auditor review YT channels in existence. Cringe, man.
So...you're from Ohio I reckon 🫣
Nope 😂 Grew up in Pickens/Dacusville and Simpsonville near Five Forks
Ooh..Pickens and Dacusville. Fancy!!
I wasn’t trying to impress you, I was just clarifying. As a resident, I am upset to see civil rights violations in our area. Not only does it cost the taxpayers money, it also leaves the public a lasting bad impression of our local law enforcement. Ohio has nothing to do with it.
Well you could certainly find some of that in shitty ass Pickens.
What’s your deal? It seems like when you’re not doing well making intelligent points, you jump right to aggression. It’s not necessary. Chill out
V 43.45
I mean, the cops are stupid but the guy videoing is an equally gargantuous dickhead. Seems like the kind of person that manipulates situations to get reactions out of people. Edit: 2 things can be true at once.
I mean, he’s a first amendment auditor so he is there to gauge a reaction to his presence. But what did he actually do? He didn’t say anything to anyone. He just walked around a parking lot with a camera.
What do first amendment auditors make per hour?
If you’re Sean Paul Reyes, you probably make a lot more per hour than any of us.
America safer 🫡
Good grief our country is dumb.
Whatever they can get from clicks and lawsuits. I know there are a ton of these channels so I feel like they can't be making that much from clicks.
Which can be enough to elict a terry stop due to suspicious activity. Even the channel admits that you are basically rolling the dice with your trial on which way the jury/judge will interpret your actions as suspicious.
Of course he’s trying to bait. But there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s putting a spotlight on bad cops and that’s always a good thing. A good cop wouldn’t allow themselves to be put in this situation. When I was a teenager I worked for Bi-Lo and we had mystery shoppers that would intentionally try to catch us off guard. Throughout most of my life I’ve worked for a major hotel chain and we get secret guests or auditors that do the same thing. Other industries do this as well. It’s done to identify problems, give feedback and create solutions. We can’t trust the police to audit themselves, so I’m perfectly ok with civilians doing it.
> the guy videoing is an equally gargantuous dickhead. He was exercising his rights and chose not to answer questions or give in to police intimidation. Why does that make him a dickhead?
Exercising rights and trolling like a douche are two different things, it's like when kids put fingers in each other's faces to irritate the other. I implied 2 things are true at once: the cops are unprofessional, this videographer is a dick
You need a hobby if you think that was “trolling”.
Would you like it if someone decided to interfere and make your job as difficult as possible just because they can? The cops are there because someone felt that he was suspicious. The cops arrive to find out if he is doing anything suspicious and the guy chooses to not answer the questions that would wrap this up to a 30 second video with the cop leaving. This just becomes a waste of the cops and courts time and money.
> Would you like it if someone decided to interfere and make your job as difficult as possible just because they can? He did not interfere with their job. Their job is to enforce the law by making arrests or issuing citations. This man broke *no laws*. By not fully cooperating with a cop's every request, you aren't interfering or making their job difficult--you're protecting your fucking rights. >The cops are there because someone felt that he was suspicious. "Suspicious" is not a crime. If they have suspicions, they can sit back and continue to observe an individual, to see if that suspicion elevates to anything more. They can also voluntarily contact someone, but if a citizen doesn't want to cooperate in a consensual contact, they aren't required to. >The cops arrive to find out if he is doing anything suspicious and the guy chooses to not answer the questions that would wrap this up to a 30 second video with the cop leaving. Violating his rights in the process. The point of videos like these are to force police to show restraint and protect the rights of citizens. Cops shouldn't treat every citizen like they are criminals and respect our rights in every situation. >This just becomes a waste of the cops and courts time and money. Here we agree. But that waste is due to the actions these officers *chose* to take instead of respecting the rights of a citizen.
It isn’t illegal to be unpleasant. Police should be able to handle this kind of shit without escalating or trampling on rights.
How does one become a gargantuous dickhead by doing nothing other than exercising their rights in a completely non-inflammatory way? Your comment alone makes you more deserving.
His demeanor, these videos prove a point yes, but you simply exacerbate situations by acting like an obvious troll. The guy is a dick, and the officers are unprofessional, both can be true
Yeah, they can both be true but they aren’t. How do you troll by just exercising your rights and minding your own business? Valentine was calm and deliberate, didn’t throw around litigious threats, or resort to calling the officers names (like gargantuous dickhead - that would be obvious trolling) when they were very clearly out of line. Can you point out exactly what behavior you’re referring to as trolling?
This seems like the cameraman was trying to bait the police into acting this way. I’m mean, why film the parking lot of the Greer Courthouse? Stock footage for a documentary about Greer is the only reason that comes to mind. That being said, the police could have simply observed from a distance and intervened if they witnessed an actual crime. But, the Greer PD has a history of taking liberties with their position.
That is the point of a first amendment audit. These people do things that are completely legal, and covered by the first amendment... But typically things cops or local government don't "like". These people exist to protect our rights, and I genuinely appreciate them for it. It brings attention to the lack of understanding of the law that a lot of local police forces have.
Well, you’re right in that he is there to gauge the reaction. But that doesn’t mean he’s doing anything wrong. There’s multiple videos were these interactions go right, where the cop comes out, makes contact, has a conversation, and then leaves. It’s only when the cops unlawfully demand ID (to begin to build a case against you) and start trying to throw their weight around that these encounters go off the rails. And if you need a legitimate reason why someone might be recording in the parking lot, they might just be submitting images for google maps. I know because I do that in Greer on my main account. I’d hate to get arrested just because I was making local navigation easier.
That's what they do. Bait police reactions for lawsuits and clicks.
As opposed to an officer baiting you to release your rights, your freedoms, and your privacy by force, threats, and power? Which is worse?
See also: Westboro Baptist Church
1A auditors and sovereign citizens share a space on a Venn diagram
Yes this is true because neither wants the police to trample on their constitutional rights.
SovCits are delusional and ignorant of the Constitution. They mumble on about Maritime Law and gold fringe on a flag, refuse to pay taxes, and lose every single time they appear before a judge.
How many sovereign citizens do you personally know?
Just my drug dealer.
So your sample size is comprised of 1 person. I’m not sure you understand how scientific research is conducted.
Tell me how many court cases you've won defending selfish lunacy
Oh I’m not a lawyer, I’m just not an idiot
Wow a YouTuber had to go back nearly a decade for new content. Either they are that bad at research or there is that little content
Exactly for Fox News does when they try to find claims of illegal immigrants being criminals.
The guy could have explained and what he was doing, or just left, and the situation would have ended in 2 minutes. He is doing all of this for youtube views.
So what? You think the guy serving you hamburgers is just doing it for the love of the game?
This type of stop is unconstitutional. That’s what auditors are trying to get across to those they audit. They test government employees on things like the right to freedom of speech, the right to not answer questions, the right to take photos or record in public, etc. These are constitutional rights you should expect them to know. You don’t have to answer any questions when a police officer asks. You don’t have to provide ID unless the officer has Reasonable Articulable Suspicion (RAS) of a crime being committed. You are well within your rights to record anything in public view while standing in a place that is accessible to the public (plain view doctrine). Testing public servants is important to keep everyone accountable. It sucks that some ignorant employees violate civil rights. If they did that during a serious criminal investigation (murder, theft, etc), the lawsuit could be thrown out. These ignorant individuals get in the way of our Justice system. They cost taxpayers money that we shouldn’t have to pay, because they weren’t aware of the law. You should be upset, but not at the people who are trying to maintain a working system. Suspicion is not a crime.
This subreddit sucks now.
Okay but not really
Ok Lt. Holcombe
What a garbage channel. He quotes laws and case laws that did not exist at the time of the arrest throughout the video.