>> Are you recording? >> They wouldn't say.
>> In Temple city, California, Northeast of downtown LA, this man is about to learn
the hard way that assaulting a first amendment auditor is a really bad idea.
>> Gimme your phone bro. Give me your phone. >> Back up man.
>> Why are you recording me bro? >> Back up.
>> You said what? >> EC one I know.
>> That was pepper spray. >> Here's another view of the auditor Riverside
County Accountability responding to the attack. >> You said what?
>> What's the issue? >>
The auditors were filming a business from a public sidewalk,
but now they focus on the man they repelled.
He seems to have been blinded, and that is an RV.
Next up, the sidewalk just beyond the RV.
And look out, that is an SUV, Crossing the street. No, no, okay, he saw the trailer.
Here he comes, watch out. >>
Just sit down man, sit down, I'll call the ambulance for you.
>> Sit down man I'll call the ambulance. >> That's one of the auditors
trying to help. >> Yoh, come over here, follow my voice,
follow my voice man. Follow my voice, you're good. Slow down, slow,
stop, stop, stop. The curve is one step away from you man, just sit down, right there, right there.
There you go. Let me borrow your phone I'll call the cops for you man. Lemme borrow your phone I'll
call the cops for you. >>
You want me to call the cops for you or not? >> Could you just call them for me?
>> Bro, I don't have a phone, I need to borrow your phone.
Just unlock it. I'll call for you man. Don't trip. >> Dude, you need help.
>> I'm out here bro >> You need help man. Don't you want help?
Call the ambulance for this guy man.
Yo, just sit down man, just sit down. >> Just sit down bro.
>> Right there, that's the car, that's the car, that's the car, that's your car right there.
>> Just hold my hand, I'm bleeding in my eyes. >> Hold my hand, he said, I'm bleeding in my eyes.
>> Sit down. >> That guy with the radio
and watching the auditors- >> Get him some
water man. >> From the business.
>> Get him some water. >> They were recording.
>> Get him the water. Pepper spray man, it's just peppers spray, just chill out man. Chill out man,
chill out. Get us some water, get us some water, come on, hurry up, help him out.
>> Dude, help the guy out, bring him some water. >> Give me some water bro.
>> You got water in your car or not? Yo >>
He shouldn't be grabbing people's stuff. What the hell?
>> Shouldn't be grabbing people's stuff, indeed. Kudos to auditors STV News first and
Riverside County accountability for trying to assist that guy. A lot of people may question,
wait a second, did that man really need to be hit in the face with pepper spray?
Well, if somebody tries to smash your equipment and assault you,
a chemical irritant seems like a modest way of moving that person, right? Furthermore,
some people might have responded with a firearm. The fact that the menacing man did not turn out
to be so tough after all and may have been on drugs or suffering a mental health issue
as evidenced by stumbling around and weeping while blinded, all of that is besides the point.
The auditors defended themselves with something that is not lethal and usually does not cause
lasting damage. In this case, the man got help from the business washing out his eyes,
and eventually drove away. Everybody's lives and constitutional freedoms remained intact. Now,
for the record, the First Amendment covers all of us and protects all right to record anything
and anybody on public roadways and sidewalks, even somebody stumbling around like a pinball.
I'm David Shuster, thanks for joining us.