An Arizona security guard repeatedly threatened to break a man’s camera if he did not stop recording him from a public sidewalk, following the man and his friend down the street, taking a swipe at his camera while telling him “turn the camera around … I will break that camera.”
After three minutes of threats, he radioed for backup, saying to whomever was on the other end, “can you get somebody over here before I do something stupid.”
And then he quickly did something stupid, slapping the camera again and damaging its microphone.
The guard, who works for Trident Security, whose motto is “we provide what others can only promise,” then ordered the man and his buddy to cross the busy street, even though it was flowing with traffic.
“Go across the street,” the guard ordered, shoving his belly into the man with the camera.
“I have to wait until the light let me,” the man responded.
The video was posted by MaxTechMedia, a pair of videographers who have been featured before on PINAC for their run-ins with people for recording in public.
The confrontation began on what appeared public property, but the guard claimed it was private. But he followed them down the street, then across the street to what was clearly public property before he assaulted the man with the camera.
A Phoenix police officer responded, acting powerless to do anything about it.
Later in the video, they were confronted by another man who said he was head of security for a building they were recording from the sidewalk.
He also stood directly in front of the camera, then ordered them to take the camera off them. He also called the cops, but when they showed up, they told the videographers that they were completely within their rights to record the building from a public sidewalk.
We have been in contact with Trident Security and will be providing his name shortly.
From the Youtube description:
This is how Security Guards roll in Downtown Phoenix. Unfortunately the Trident Security Guard damaged our microphone, knocking out the right channel. Some software editing is a quick fix, but we will have to replace it! COST OF BUSINESS!
