Ohio Northern University

By Margaret Lavender

EDITOR’S NOTE The ONU Civil Rights Law Journal TOP FIVE is a special Top 5 listicle that takes a quick look at various legal issues, social media sites or influencers, cases, or other similar topics. Have a suggestion for a TOP FIVE? Email Editor-In-Chief Steph West at s-west@onu.edu.

John H. Bryan started practicing law in 2006 and since then has amassed more than two million subscribers, 862 million views, and 915 videos on his YouTube channel, “The Civil Rights Lawyer,”  according to his blog and YouTube channel.  Bryan, whose practice is in West Virginia, has dedicated his life and work to informing and educating the public about a variety of civil rights topics, from police interactions to constitutional violations of individual rights. For his efforts, he was awarded the 2024 Governor’s Civil Rights Day Award, “for extraordinary service to the citizens of West Virginia in the battle for absolute equality and civil rights for all,” his website reads.

His YouTube  videos typically feature body-cam footage, public records, and legal analysis to push for accountability. The CRLJ has pulled the TOP FIVE most watched videos from Bryan’s YouTube channel. Check them out below.  

1. Cops Arrest Paraplegic in Wheelchair for “Kicking Down” Woman’s Door (11M views) (Original YouTube video + later video update)

According to a blog post from Bryan’s website, a paraplegic man in a wheelchair was accused of kicking down a door, assaulting someone, and running away. The video shows officers dragging the man from his chair even though he said he had been paralyzed for 25 years. When given an update on the situation, the supervising lieutenant was told it might be a false claim by an observing officer. The supervising lieutenant suggested the paraplegic man must be “faking” to avoid arrest. 

Update: Bryan provided a brief update on his blog with a companion link to both the original video and a video update, sharing that the arresting officer was fired after an internal review concerning the situation. The supervising lieutenant who backed the arrest and suggested the paraplegic man was “faking” kept his job with the department, indicating those actions did not violate policy. 

2. Off Duty Cop Mistakes Cigarette for Drugs | Cops Tear Apart His Truck, Find Nothing (8M views) (Original YouTube video)

Bryan shares on his blog the story of Jake Kidder. An off-duty officer called police to report Kidder for receiving drugs at the car wash. The officer made this call after witnessing an interaction between Kidder and a Black man. Responding officers searched the truck at the car wash and found nothing. Kidder said he was simply receiving a cigarette from a coworker. The entire stop and search relied only on the second-hand report — none of the officers on-scene actually saw the alleged drug deal themselves.

3. Cop’s Family Sent Me Hatemail, So I Got the Video Exposing What He Did (6.7M views) (Response/follow-up to original video)

This response video came after Bryan received hate mail in response to a video and blog post from his YouTube channel and website. The original video shows short clips and an arrest where Bryan claims the post-incident report and the video do not align. The officer’s report said he pepper-sprayed a man prior to handcuffing him; body-cam footage showed he did not, leading to the officer being indicted on charges of the use of excessive force and engaging in a cover-up. Following a jury trial, the officer was found not guilty, and returned to work as a deputy. 

 In his response, Bryan releases the full body-cam videos from both officers during the arrest. Bryan also used his blog to share arrest records, court papers, statements, and the civil complaint that led to the $175,000 settlement for the victim.

4. My Video Made the TV News in Idaho – Town Responds, Officer Gone? (6.6M views) (Second update to an earlier YouTube video)

This video is an update regarding a video posted about a teen boy who crashed his dirt bike and was badly hurt. Later that day, his brothers tried to retrieve the bike. An officer ordered the teens to unload the dirt bike from the truck as “evidence,” then used force to arrest the eldest brother when the teens refused. Later footage showed the officer lived in the same neighborhood as the boys he arrested when he was overheard mentioning the teens were familiar to him when interviewing witnesses. 

Idaho News aired parts of Bryan’s first video after it went viral, and stated the officer “voluntarily left” after a use-of-force review. The department’s own statement said the officer took another job before the video was posted. Final Update: Bryan posted a second update video and blog post this year, two years after the incident. Idaho released the results of the investigation that the officer was cleared of wrongdoing according to the police department’s standards. 

5. CVS Employee Arrested Waiting on Bench for Lyft Driver (7 Minutes After Closing the Store) (6.3M views) (Original video + later update)

Paul Wert, 22, finished his CVS shift in Edgewater, Florida, and sat on a bench waiting for a Lyft. An officer said he looked suspicious and threatened him with a taser and police dog, then arrested him even after Wert explained he worked there. Charges were dropped the next day. The officer left the department after being allowed to resign. Wert’s attorney later sent a $180,000 demand letter to the city, with a possible lawsuit if no agreement is reached.

Update: Bryan shared a blog post and video update which include a conversation with Wert’s criminal defense attorney. During the conversation, the attorney shared that the family was able to find a civil rights attorney should a suit need to be filed, if the city and Wert do not reach a settlement based on the original demand letter. 

What You Can Do

You can follow Bryan at the links below.  

• YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcth5uVYORmu5Cu15ZjpzuQ
• Blog: https://thecivilrightslawyer.com/

If you want to learn more about Civil Rights, visit the American Civil Liberties Union website. 

Suggested Citation

Lavender, Margaret, Civil Rights violations’ videos from “The Civil Rights Lawyer”.  (August 29, 2026). Ohio Northern University Civil Rights Law Journal. Available at https://onucrjournal.com/2026/08/29/top-five-civil-rights-violations-videos-from-the-civil-rights-lawyer/.