You may think of police as the upholders of the law, but a recent incident in California suggests otherwise. Independent journalist Film The Police LA, known for his reporting on social media platform X, was recently involved in a heated verbal clash with an LAPD sergeant, an exchange that has since drawn significant public attention and online debate. The confrontation began over a dispute about whether members of the press are exempt from dispersal orders during protests and demonstrations. The reporter argued that he was indeed exempt, pointing out that this was why he had the right to remain in the area in order to continue covering the events unfolding on the street that night. The LAPD sergeant, however, firmly insisted that the press was not exempt and ordered the reporter to leave immediately.
The journalist refused to comply, insisting that he was protected under the law. Tensions rose as the two argued loudly, with the reporter going so far as to tell the sergeant to “just push him” if he really intended to force him out. The journalist then demanded that the LAPD sergeant provide his serial number, a request the officer ignored.
After several minutes of back-and-forth, a lieutenant eventually arrived at the scene. The lieutenant contradicted the sergeant, stating that the journalist was indeed allowed to stay and did not have to leave the area. This statement infuriated the reporter, who began shouting at the sergeant, questioning how an LAPD supervisor could fail to understand such a fundamental law in the first place.
In fact, California law is crystal clear on this matter. Penal Code § 409.7 explicitly allows credentialed journalists to remain in areas that are closed to the public during protests, demonstrations, or other events, provided that they are engaged in newsgathering. The sergeant’s claim also contradicted a federal court injunction issued in 2020, which explicitly forbids the LAPD from interfering with lawful reporting during protests. That injunction came after repeated lawsuits brought by press freedom groups in response to police obstruction, harassment, and even detention of journalists covering civil unrest in California.
The video of the incident, filmed by the journalist himself, ends with him still demanding the sergeant’s serial number. Once shared online, the footage spread quickly and provoked widespread criticism of the LAPD, particularly regarding the apparent lack of awareness of both California law and the federal court order among its officers.
The response from the public was swift and heated. Many internet users condemned the LAPD for what they viewed as both ignorance and abuse of authority. One user wrote, “This is authoritarianism. It’s not coming, it’s already here. Once something sparks in Chicago, then New York, it’s over.” Others called out the hypocrisy of police officers being expected to uphold the law while seemingly being unaware of it. “Ignorance of the law is not an excuse, unless you’re a cop apparently,” one Redditor remarked.
Still others applauded the California journalist for refusing to back down in the face of pressure from law enforcement. “Amazing work. They absolutely backed off once they realized your knowledge was correct. Hope you get a lawsuit out of that,” another commenter said.
