Does a bodycam video authentically show a black female lawyer arguing with an "arrogant cop" after she was trying to throw out trash at her office? No, that's not true: The video in which a woman who says her name is "Linda Jones" gets in a confrontation with a police officer originated on a YouTube channel that says it publishes scripted content. Copies of the video went viral on social media without that disclaimer present.
The video (archived here) was originally published on April 11, 2025 under the title "Black Female Lawyer Vs Arrogant Cop" with a description that read:
#bodycam #florida #police #lawyer
Black Lawyer Schools Cop Who Harassed Her For Throwing Out Trash At Her Office.
The video shows a five minute long argument in which the cop claims he is investigating the woman for illegally dumping trash and refusing to believe the woman when she tells him the building behind them is where she rents an office for her legal practice, even after she hands him her business card that says she is an attorney at law.
Click below to watch the video on YouTube:
The bio of the YouTube channel (archived here) that originally published the footage said:
We bring you real, unfiltered bodycam footage, offering an objective look at law enforcement encounters. Our goal is to inform and educate, allowing viewers to gain insight into real-world situations.
Every case featured on this channel is original and exclusive, carefully re-enacted to highlight incidents not previously covered on YouTube.
If you see this content anywhere else, it's been stolen, Please report it to us so we can dmca and strike their channel.
[email protected]
(Highlight by Lead Stories)
Copies of the video spread on social media still showed the watermark of the channel which mentioned the website bodycamdeclassified.com (archived here) which included a further disclaimer:
PLEASE NOTE: The content on Body Cam Declassified is created and produced content, not actual bodycam footage from official sources. This is a critical legal distinction:
- While actual government-produced bodycam footage may have different copyright considerations and may be subject to broader fair use provisions in some contexts, our content is NOT actual bodycam footage.
- Our videos represent original creative works that we script, film, edit, and produce ourselves.
(Highlight by Lead Stories)
Lead Stories has previously debunked two other viral videos that originated on the same channel, here and here.
