By Suzie Ziegler
SANTA ANA, Calif. — A Santa Ana police officer is under investigation after he blared Disney music while being filmed by a citizen in an apparent attempt to stop the video from being shared online. In the video, the officer says he’s playing the music to trigger a copyright strike.
According to KTLA, police were responding to a stolen vehicle report when the owner of the YouTube channel ‘Santa Ana Audits’ showed up. The YouTube channel’s videos consist of apparent ‘First Amendment audits,’ or recordings of police activity.
Throughout the video, several Disney songs are heard including “Reflection” from “Mulan.”
In the video, another man who identifies himself as a city council member asks the officer why he’s playing the music.
“Why? Because it’s copyrighted,” the unidentified officer responds.
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“It’s because he knows I have a YouTube channel,” the man behind the camera says.
The city council member admonishes the officer for playing the music so loudly and disturbing the neighbors.
Now, the Santa Ana Police Department is investigating to determine if the officer will face any discipline.
The department released the following statement in response to the incident:
“The Santa Ana police department is aware of a video that has surfaced involving one of our officers. We are committed to serving our community and we understand the concerns as it relates to the video. The Santa Ana police department takes seriously all complaints regarding the service provided by the department and the conduct of its employees. Our department is committed to conducting complete, thorough, and objective investigations. My expectations is that all police department employees perform their duties with dignity and respect in the community we are hired to serve.”