When a First Amendment Auditor Comes to Your Town

Senior Deputy Keith Jackson conducted a routine traffic stop during the evening of May 4, 2021, in Edgewood, Maryland. During the stop, he was approached by an unknown man with camera phone who refused to obey commands, potentially jeopardizing the safety of the deputy, the driver at the traffic stop, and himself. The auditor was placed under arrest for hindering, and the rest is YouTube history. Hear from Senior Deputy Jackson on how the situation unfolded and the professional and personal challenges the video created. Watch camera footage of the entire event versus what was posted on YouTube. Hear from our public information officer on how the agency managed hundreds of phone calls, emails, and social media messages, as well as took control of the narrative, and how the investigation came to a surprise conclusion.