Featured Image Credit: The Civil Rights Lawyer / YouTube
The arrest of Ben "Reckless Ben" Schneider has been the talk of social media since he started his investigation to 'expose' the alleged theft of $200,000 worth of Star Wars LEGO, and recounting his experience has led one civil rights lawyer to claim that police acted unlawfully throughout the process.
The investigation saw Reckless Ben subject to countless accusations of harassment and trespassing, with police seemingly unwilling to cooperate or investigate despite the YouTuber following the law to the letter.
His interactions with law enforcement in both Oregon and Utah saw his car searched on several occasions, alongside his Airbnb raided by police around the time of his arrest, and an interview with The Civil Rights Lawyer on YouTube saw the pair detail why these incidents could allegedly be illegal.
The events that led up to Reckless Ben's arrest escalated quickly, as he reveals during the interview with The Civil Rights Lawyer that he was threatened almost immediately after he first entered the Bricks & Minifigs store in Keizer, Oregon.
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Having been prepared for what was likely to happen by Bryan Mansell in a conversation they had about his situation, Schneider was unsurprised that the employee present within the store quickly accused him of harassment when attempting to recover the allegedly stolen LEGO collection.
He recalls attempting to state the facts of the matter to the police, but admits that they probably found it 'so crazy' that it was difficult to believe, especially as it was his word as someone from outside of the town and state compared to a local business.
Schneider attempted to gain the attention of the police by changing the situation from a civil matter – where Bricks & Minifigs could sustain an incredibly expensive lawsuit – to a criminal one, discovering a 'loophole' relating to including stolen items within a lottery.
Going as far to highlight passages within Oregon law to show police at the scene, they initially seemed responsive but quickly turned hostile, claiming that he had trespassed instead.
Police then arrested him after further claims of harassment, additionally alleging that he ran a stop sign — although he claims that dash cam footage refuted this.
One of the biggest concerns surrounding Reckless Ben's interaction with police is this incident involving the traffic stop for failing to halt at a stop sign, as evidence obtained from law enforcement leads the lawyer to deem the incident 'unlawful'.
Schneider was also stopped by police who claimed that they had knowledge of illegal substances within his car, and audio of conversations captured from body cameras was also accused of being 'illegally redacted' in a measure to protect officers.
"My guess if that they acknowledge that it's very obvious we don't have drugs on us, but they were going to try and pressure us into giving some type of false confession anyway," Schneider speculated, adding that police neglected the right of Ben and his companions to refuse a search.
Ben was eventually arrested for stalking, and while this technically was a legal and justified charge as he matched the various checkmarks associated with the crime – including crossing state lines and inciting fear in an individual – the YouTuber claims that the definition was stretched.
Police also gave him a serious injury, almost dislocating his shoulder, while he was being arrested a separate time at his Airbnb — claiming that there was no reason for law enforcement to use that much force in the situation.
The 'stolen' LEGO saga continues.
