Cops Threaten Arrest | ID Refusal | This One’s for Chi Chi

What started as a basic audit turned into a full-blown circus

I walked up to the the Lucerne Avenue Post Office in Lake Worth, FL expecting a normal audit — nothing fancy. Just me, a camera, and a federal building. I figured I’d be in and out. A little filming, maybe a confused clerk, and that’d be that.

Instead, I got six cops, threats of arrest, demands for ID, a crash course in public rights, and… a heartbreaking reminder that life can hit a lot harder than any government employee ever could.

Because while all this nonsense was going down in Lake Worth, our dog Chi Chi — a 3-year-old Boston Terrier who’s been part of this channel from the start — was fighting to recover from a brutal hit-and-run.

We’ll get to Chi Chi in a second. But first, let’s talk about what happened when I walked through those post office doors.

The setup: one man, one camera, and a lobby full of people who don’t know the rules

Before anything popped off, I had a quick interaction with a woman outside the building. She asked me where she could get some food. I pointed her to a bar around the corner that serves food and kept filming.

I took a few shots of the exterior, then walked into the post office. Less than a minute later, a postal worker was already alerting his coworkers that I had a camera. That’s all it takes these days — you walk in quietly, you don’t say a word, and boom: they act like it’s a stickup.

I stayed back, calmly filming. And sure enough — I found Poster 7, the same one they always pretend doesn’t exist. Right there on the wall.

A few minutes in, a female clerk calls out that this is a federal building and that filming isn’t allowed. I sarcastically thank her for the info — and just like that, every head in the lobby snaps toward me like I just yelled “bomb.”

Things escalated fast.

The lobby melts down

A guy near the second window turns around and tells me I better not be recording him or he’ll take my camera. Yeah — he threatens to steal my camera on federal property… because I might be breaking the rules?

I told him taking my camera would be a crime — because it would.

Then the clerk at the window announces they’ve already called the police. It’s like a fire alarm — suddenly, everyone’s freaking out.

A manager tries to get involved, asking if I need help. I say no. He says don’t disturb customers. I remind him they’re the ones approaching me.

A woman in line says the post office is public space. She gets it. Another guy — who says he’s a journalist — tries to grab my camera while yelling that I can’t film him. The irony is thicker than concrete.

Then the real show starts. One guy asks what I’m doing. I tell him the truth: I make educational videos about public rights. I point to Poster 7. I explain how it works. Some listen. Some argue. Some film me while insisting I can’t film them.

I remind them that they’re being filmed by USPS cameras the moment they walk in the door. They don’t seem to care about those cameras; only mine.

But slowly, a few people start to understand. One guy gives me a fist bump. Another says he supports the First Amendment. One woman wishes me luck as she walks out.

And just when it starts to settle down… the cops show up.

Education is coming… or so I thought

I’m inside filming through the window when Deputy Sheriff M. Bradford #24637 arrives. I say out loud, “Education is coming.” Because it is.

Right behind her: Deputy A. Williams # 34315. Then Deputy Bundrick #21410. And later, three more. Yeah — six total!

Bradford walks up and asks what I’m doing. I tell her she can see what I’m doing. She tells me I need permission from the postmaster to record. I tell her I don’t. She says it’s on their website. I point her to Poster 7. She tells me Poster 7 “only applies to the outside of the building.”

Come on!

I tell her she’s ignorant and that she should actually read the poster. She tells me to “step over there.” I say I’m in a public space. She insists. I hold my ground.

At the same time, I believe Deputy Sheriff A. Williams is trying to get a postal worker to trespass me. The guy tells me I need to leave if I’m not buying anything. I point to Poster 7 and explain that it literally says I can film.

Williams says I’m trespassing and that I’ll be arrested if I don’t leave. I ask if that’s a threat. She says yes. So I start walking toward the exit.

Then she demands my ID.

One man steps up — right in front of the cops

While I was outside dealing with Deputy Williams and Officer Bradford, one of the earlier customers came out — the guy in the black shirt who had been supportive inside. He walked right up to me, looked the cops dead in the eye, and shook my hand.

No hesitation. No fear. Just a simple, powerful gesture of support.

He thanked me again for what I was doing. Said the First Amendment matters. And walked off.

It might not seem like much to some people, but when you’re surrounded by cops, being threatened with arrest, and dealing with a wave of ignorance — a handshake like that hits different.

“Are you detaining me?”

Outside, she follows me and demands ID. I ask, “What crime have I committed?” She says she’s trespassing me. I say, “I left.” She presses. I ask again: “Am I being detained?”

She doesn’t answer.

Then comes Sergeant J. Navarro #4049. I ask him: “Am I being detained?” He says yes, “just for a second.” I press harder. He says he wants to talk to the officer first.

Eventually, he admits I don’t have to provide ID. I turn to Williams and say, “You hear that? Then piss off.”

She walks past me and says “bye.”

I tell her to go fuck herself.

Because freedom of speech still exists.

Filming the fallout

The officers slowly start peeling off. I film the walk of shame. I catch an open laptop in Deputy Casteleiro’s patrol car and film it. He slams it shut. I remind him it’s probably policy to do that anyway.

They gather in a private parking lot across the street talking about lunch or whatever. I get B-roll across the street for my outro.

A van labeled The Admiral Plumber pulls up to a red light. The driver sees me filming and gives me a thumbs up. At least someone gets it.

A woman. A memory. And a flash of what we’ve lost

Down the block, I run into the woman from earlier — the one who asked me for directions. She’s still stranded. An Uber driver ditched her.

While I’m talking to her, another woman walks up and asks what I’m filming. I tell her it’s educational content — I’m showing how people react when they see someone exercising their rights.

She gets it. We talk about how the weather’s great. She tells me she’s lived here 15 years. I say I’ve been here 47.

Then she starts talking about Fort Lauderdale. The Elbow Room. The beach. Being 16 and free.

And just then, Deputy Casteleiro drives by again — this time filming me with his phone.

I tell him to get lost.

The woman laughs and asks if he’s a friend. I tell her no — just another public servant who doesn’t like the citizens asserting their rights.

We talk about how this country changed after 9/11. About how people gave up their freedoms for the illusion of safety. She nods. She gets it.

But this audit — this one’s for Chi Chi

I filmed this video while holding something heavy.

Chi Chi is our 3-year-old Boston Terrier. She’s been with us since the beginning. Some of you even know her — she was in Dog Park Karen Gets Educated, this channel’s very first audit. She was there to provide police backup when the crazy guy who hates Jews took out several mailboxes and drove into the canal.

She’s sweet. She’s fearless. She swims. She rides bikes with us. She loves everyone — big dogs, small dogs, strangers, kids.

But a few days ago, an AC tech came to fix our unit and didn’t latch the gate.

We didn’t notice. The next morning, we let the dogs out like always. The gate was open. Chi Chi got out, and was hit by a speeding Hummer.

The driver never stopped. Chi Chi ran home — screaming in pain — on a shattered leg. She had a broken humerus and massive internal bleeding. We rushed her to Access Specialty Animal Hospital.

She needed emergency surgery and a blood transfusion. The bill is $20,000.

We want to blame the driver. We want to blame the tech. But at the end of the day, we blame ourselves. We should’ve checked the gate. That’s on us. And it kills us.

I’m not asking for coffee. I’m not plugging a sponsor.

If you want to help, call the animal hospital directly and make a confidential payment toward Chi Chi’s care:

📞 Access Specialty Animal Hospital – Palm Beach County

(561) 774-8855

If you can’t donate, sharing this helps. And if you’ve met Chi Chi — in real life — leave a comment and let people know what kind of dog she really is.

Legal Disclaimer

All individuals in this video were filmed in public, where no reasonable expectation of privacy exists. This video was filmed in publicly accessible areas, and all interactions shown are matters of public interest protected by the First Amendment.