Orange County Sheriff Deputy Caught Slandering Law Abiding Gun Owner

"He's a nut bag, he's the type you don't want to have guns"

It was a warm September afternoon when I decided to walk around my town of San Clemente.  The quiet beach town busy with weekend traffic as the public enjoyed the warmth of the sun.  There was a decent amount of foot traffic downtown, enough to get shop owners excited for weekend shoppers.

I walked outside and felt the nice breeze of ocean chilled air and with my camcorder in one hand and my tripod case in the other started on my walk around town.  I am sure there are people in this world that would find it odd to carry a camera everywhere you go but I would remind them that most news stories now utilize public photos and video that everyday people catch on cell phones because they just happen to be somewhere at that moment when something happens.  Anyone with a camera can turn into an independent journalist in a blink of an eye and unless you can see into the future, you just never know when something worth videoing happens in front of you.

"There was a man and he has a gun"

So there I was, walking down the street, minding my own business when I notice a deputy Orange County Sheriff pass by and pull into a parking lot not far from me.  That by itself did not concern me as I was not breaking any laws and unless detained (soft arrest) I did not even have to stop or speak with him unless I decided to have a consenting conversation.  I did decide to stop for a second to see what he wanted because I felt not to would be rude of me, but everyone should know that talking to an officer can NEVER help you, although it can always end up hurting you.  You see, the courts have ruled that what you say to an officer can be used against you in court, but it can not be used to help you as evidence.  Even if you say something to an officer that can help you in court or at trial, it will not be allowed because it is what is called hearsay. Here is what transpired that day, this is just one of a set of three videos abut this incident.

After the brief talk with the officers I ended my walk and went home.  I put in a public records request for anything related to the incident and was happy when I heard the officers talking to themselves  and admitting I was doing nothing wrong and that it was just my tripod in the case that the caller was so concerned about.

What I never expected to hear, was a mostly one sided phone conversation from officer Root calling the woman that originally called them.  I was shocked and disturbed in the fact that after explaining that I was not breaking any laws (which I thought was great) he then went on the attack and started calling me a nut bag, harmless until I go postal, and the type of guy that people should not want to have guns.

Officer Root does not know me personally, I had never met him before that day.  How does he know first hand what type of person I am, what type of morals I have, that I am going to go postal some day and until then there is nothing he can do.

I personally believe officer Root acted unprofessional and stepped over a line in his conversation with the informant.  I invite you all to listen and come to your own conclusions.  I believe everyone has a right to their own opinions, but when you are acting under the color of law, you have to follow a higher standard when voicing that opinion to the public.

I AWAIT AN APOLOGY FROM DEPUTY ROOT, BUT WILL NOT HOLD MY BREATH.