Residents sue, alleging police retaliated against those recording officers.
Several residents have filed a federal lawsuit claiming that members of a Memphis law enforcement task force repeatedly targeted, intimidated, and punished people who attempted to document their activities in public places. The Memphis suit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other legal groups on behalf of nine of the city’s residents and accuses members of the Memphis Safe Task Force of carrying out a pattern of harassment against people who used cameras and cell phones to record police operations. According to the complaint, individuals who filmed officers faced traffic stops, arrests, threats, surveillance, and other actions meant to discourage them from continuing their efforts.
One of the lead plaintiffs in the Memphis suit, Hunter Demster, spent months documenting task force activity in Memphis neighborhoods. According to court filings, he wanted to observe government activity taking place in public and make sure officers were acting appropriately. Demster claims in the suit that task force members became increasingly hostile as he continued to record their operations. In one incident, a police vehicle reportedly drove by while someone inside used a loudspeaker to call out his name. Demster later stated that the encounter left him uneasy because it suggested officers knew who he was and were watching him closely.
Court documents describe additional incidents involving Demster. He alleges that officers repeatedly interfered with his recordings by shining lights into his camera, ordering him farther away from scenes, and driving vehicles toward areas where he was standing. He also claimed that unmarked law enforcement vehicles were occasionally seen near his home. Demster states those actions created fear and made him question whether continuing to record police activity was worth the personal risk.
Another event described in the lawsuit involved a traffic stop in late 2025. Demster stated that he was pulled over by a state trooper while several unmarked vehicles surrounded his car. He claims he received a citation for a broken taillight but later learned the ticket had never been entered into the court system. The lawsuit argues that the stop was intended to intimidate him rather than enforce traffic laws.
A second plaintiff, Jessica Chodor, says she was arrested while attempting to film a traffic stop. Chodor stated she moved to a public sidewalk after being told to return to her vehicle. She maintains that she was not breaking any laws when officers physically restrained her and took her into custody. Chodor spent more than a day in jail before being released. Charges filed against her were later dismissed.
The Memphis suit challenges Tennessee’s Halo Law, which allows officers to order individuals to remain at least 25 feet away from law enforcement activity. Plaintiffs argue that task force members repeatedly used the law to push observers so far from incidents that recording became nearly impossible. According to Demster, officers invoked the law dozens of times while he was documenting their operations.
The lawsuit is asking for a court order to prevent task force members from threatening, arresting, or otherwise retaliating against individuals who record police activity. It is also asking that the court order the use of the Halo Law to be restricted in situations involving peaceful observers.
Sources:
ACLU Alleges Memphis Task Force Systematically Intimidates, Harasses Observers
New Filings Detail Disturbing Accounts of Federal Agents Retaliating Against Memphis Residents
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