- Jan 17, 2017
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Cops Demand Woman’s Ring Video at 3AM (without a warrant)
The Civil Rights LawyerCops in Greenville, North Carolina showed up at a woman’s front door at 3am, asking if her Ring doorbell caught footage of a crime that had occurred. The woman told them her device had not been recording, so there was no footage. But they wouldn’t take no for an answer.
This video, presented by The Civil Rights Lawyer, details a constitutional rights violation involving the Greenville Police Department in North Carolina. The video centers on a 3:00 a.m. encounter where police demanded Ring doorbell footage from a resident, Uniqua Teal, following a report of shots fired nearby (0:09, 2:52).
Key events and legal analysis:
- Illegal Search and Seizure: After Teal informed officers that her device was dead and not recording, Sergeant Jennifer Umplet threatened her with a search warrant and eventually forced entry into her apartment, placed her in handcuffs, and seized her phone to unlock it (0:32, 5:10, 6:08).
- Fourth Amendment Violations: The host highlights that this action lacked exigent circumstances, citing Payton v. New York (8:44) and a binding 2019 Fourth Circuit case, Hupp v. State Trooper Seth Cook (10:26), which established that officers cannot seize recording devices without a warrant simply because evidence could be deleted.
- Pattern of Misconduct: The video reveals that this is not an isolated incident. Another victim, disabled veteran Preston Joiner, came forward regarding a separate illegal detention by Sergeant Umplet (14:27), and footage from a previous year shows the same officer hitting a man with handcuffs during an arrest (16:48).
- The Greenville Police Department has issued a statement claiming they have launched an internal affairs investigation and placed Sergeant Umplet on administrative leave (0:46, 7:06, 8:13).
