One undercover FBI agent found himself in a rather suboptimal position during an infiltration mission, as he reveals the terrifying initiation ritual that he had to go through when he 'joined' the Klu Klux Klan.
The Klu Klux Klan, often shortened to the 'KKK', is one of history's most notorious extremist hate groups, as they dedicate themselves to achieving white supremacy and other far-right political positions.
While it isn't quite as prevalent as it might have been around a century ago, it remains still an active organization that some YouTubers have even managed to prank with fake applications and even fraudulent interviews.
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It remains subject to the watch of government organizations like the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and one former agent reveals the night he found himself part of an initiation ceremony while undercover.
Sharing his story via a new video on the 'fern' YouTube channel, Scott Payne recalls when he was tasked with infiltrating America's racist underbelly, including one particularly terrifying night.
Finding his 'in' by pretending to be a musician in a time of need, Scott rolled up to something far more dangerous than he was expecting on April 21, 2017.
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He knew he was in the right place when he spotted men in KKK robes at the entrance to an empty fenced-in lot in the middle of nowhere, and these 'nighthawks' – those wearing black robes instead of the traditional white – were all armed with guns as a security detail.
He was taught the constitution of the Klu Klux Klan as part of his undercover mission, which is sourced from a book referred to as the 'Kloran', and even took part in a 'klass' – yes, with a K – to pass the test needed to be fitted for a robe.
After this, he was invited to participate in a naturalization ceremony, where he and a number of other men were blindfolded and had to carry out certain tasks.
This involved placing their hand on each others' shoulders to symbolize brotherhood, after which they were asked to repeat and oath which has just about everything you'd expect from the KKK and other white nationalist groups.
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Scott then found himself on his knees, and his blindfold was finally removed. In front of him stood a man in a green KKK robe – signifying the rank of 'Grand Dragon', as state-level leader – who then placed a sword on his shoulders as if he was being knighted.
"Then we all hugged and there's like a little bit of celebration," Scott recalls, "and I'm not sure what happened. And then it hits me as I'm walking to my truck, I'm like, 'I think I just joined the damn Klan'. Yep, that's what that was. So I got naturalized in the Klu Klux Klan."
He thankfully wasn't in the Klan for too long, yet his next task with the FBI saw him place his focus on advanced Neo Nazi groups which were noted for being far more violent at that time.