An independent filmmaker documenting street preachers outside a California abortion clinic said he was handcuffed, held in a hot police car, and had his equipment seized—without clear cause, as The Christian Post reports.

Dan Brown Jr., known for his work on social justice documentaries, was arrested on Oct. 17 while filming outside a Planned Parenthood location in Pomona, prompting legal threats from his attorney over what they claim was an overreach of authority and a violation of Brown’s constitutional rights.

Brown was capturing footage for an upcoming project, tentatively titled Cry Aloud, which focuses on aggressive street evangelists and their run-ins with law enforcement. He was filming outside the clinic around 11 a.m., documenting interactions between police and a preacher named Brother Ed.

Police Approach Escalates Unexpectedly

According to Brown, officers initially said little to him, though one returned from inside the clinic later to suggest that his cameras made people “uncomfortable.” Brown said he continued recording for roughly another hour before wrapping up and loading his gear into his vehicle.

That’s when the situation turned. Multiple police vehicles suddenly surrounded Brown and his filming partner, sirens blazing, and officers approached them forcefully. “It was like a ‘nobody move’ situation,” Brown told The Christian Post.

Without ID on his person—but claiming it was in his nearby car—Brown said he was handcuffed tightly and placed in the back of a police vehicle with no air conditioning for nearly an hour. His assistant, a 22-year-old film student visiting from Sri Lanka, was also arrested despite reportedly having her ID the entire time.

Cameras Taken, Legal Questions Raised

After being held in the police car, Brown said officers gave him a citation to appear in court on Dec. 6 and confiscated nearly all of his filming equipment—cameras, drives, and accessories—though they left behind his unused camera and some microphone gear. The inconsistency raised more questions about the seizure’s legitimacy.

Brown recalled offering to hand over only the hard drives but said officers declined, citing a lack of trust. “This is my livelihood,” he said. “There was no need to take the cameras. It just seems like gross overreach to me.”

Pomona police later confirmed the arrest and affirmed that the equipment was collected as evidence. The items were returned to Brown on Oct. 23, six days after the encounter. That short delay, however, did little to calm tensions.

Legal Battle Over Freedom Of the Press

At the heart of the dispute is California Assembly Bill 1356, which criminalizes filming within 100 feet of an abortion facility if there’s intent to intimidate. The law’s wording, critics argue, is so broad that it can snare journalists and curious bystanders alike.

Brown’s attorney, Ryan Burke, plans to challenge the law in court. “This statute, on its face, clearly violates the First Amendment’s free speech and free press clauses,” Burke said. “It violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause.”

Burke added that Brown remained in public space throughout and didn’t obstruct access to the clinic. He emphasized that the filmmaker was an observer, not a participant, and was simply documenting content for a project that spans dozens of locations nationwide.

Claiming Neutrality, But Still Caught In The Middle

Brown himself says he had no prior experience filming near an abortion facility and wasn’t there to make a political statement. “I’ve never been out in front of an abortion clinic before,” he told The Christian Post. “I don’t have a dog in the fight.”

He said the documentary looks at the tension between street preachers and state authority, not the abortion debate itself. “I set out to film the fiery moments, not to be consumed in them,” he added.

Unfortunately, fiery moments came looking for him. And now Brown finds himself lost in a legal tangle over a law intended, ostensibly, to protect privacy at clinics—but which critics say is being used to intimidate dissent and muzzle journalism.

Unanswered Questions Linger After Incident

Even some elements of the arrest remain murky. Brown claims officers refused to repeat answers about the citation, and one of the only cameras not taken was an unused one—raising eyebrows about what authorities were really after.

His young assistant may have suffered from a language barrier during the arrest. “She doesn’t speak English very well,” Brown said. “So maybe there was a misunderstanding. But later, she texted me and she said, ‘I did have my ID on me.’”

As of now, it remains to be seen whether the district attorney will pursue formal charges. Burke has vowed a fight. “We’re not going to roll over and take it,” he said. “This is absolutely absurd.”