Documentarian filming outside Planned Parenthood says police handcuffed him, seized his cameras

October 30, 2025

An independent filmmaker says his rights were violated when police handcuffed him, confiscated his equipment and held him for more than a hour while he was filming a documentary outside a Planned Parenthood facility in California.

The Christian Post reports that Dan Brown Jr. was filming a street preacher and other evangelists for a documentary called “Cry Aloud” in front of Planned Parenthood in Pomona in October.

Brown says the film focuses on confrontational street evangelists and their interactions with police and delves into questions about free speech and freedom of assembly.

“I’ve never been out in front of an abortion clinic before,” Brown told the Christian Post, adding, “I set out to film the fiery moments, not to be consumed in them.”

According to the filmmaker, police showed up about 40 minutes after he had begun filming but police didn’t say anything to him initially.

Brown reported that an officer who had gone into the Planned Parenthood facility, returned and told him that his camera was making some people nervous and asked him if he would be willing to stop filming.

Brown said nothing in return and the officer left but as the filmmaker was loading up his equipment at the end of filming, multiple police arrived and detained him in handcuffs for more than an hour before releasing him with a citation.

However, as they were releasing him, Brown says police seized his cameras but left his microphones and audio equipment, prompting questions about their motivation for taking his cameras.

“This is my livelihood. There was no need to take the cameras,” Brown said. “It just seems like gross overreach to me.”

The cameras were later returned and Brown learned that he was cited under California’s Assembly Bill 1356 which makes it illegal to film within 100 feet of the entrance to an abortion clinic for the purpose of intimidating clinic staff or patients.

Brown and his attorney Ryan Burke are preparing for a court appearance on Dec. 6 and say they are prepared to fight the charges.

Photo: top, Credit: Zach Gibson/Getty Images