NYC cops being harassed, doxxed by social media agitators prompt calls for change
New York City police officers are increasingly facing online harassment from activists who record confrontations and post them on social media, revealing officers’ personal information and complaint histories.
One user, known as Stitch the Camera Guy, filmed two officers at the West 181st Street No. 1 subway station in Washington Heights on Feb. 1. In the video, he taunts the officers with profanities while displaying their names, photos, and records of complaints and lawsuits filed against them.
In other videos, the user confronts officers inside station houses, in patrol cars, and on the streets, continuing with profane and threatening remarks. In a Dec. 10 post, he told one officer, “I hope you burn out here. You were supposed to burn in hell a long time ago.” He also claims protection under the First Amendment, telling another officer in a Dec. 21 clip, “You’re going to have to listen to the judge if you arrest me… I’ll sue you if you try.”
While similar videos have circulated in the past, the combination of posting officers’ full names and complaint records is a newer trend, echoing tactics seen in anti-ICE activism nationwide. One example, ICE List, is a national doxxing project launched online in June 2025 that publicly identifies hundreds of federal immigration staffers, sharing personal details such as phone numbers, license plates, and photos. By last month, it included more than 4,500 names.
Some social media users defending the posts cite First Amendment protections. However, law enforcement officials argue this does not justify targeting officers. “I don’t think the First Amendment gives you the right to harass police officers and thwart them from doing their job,” said a source in law enforcement. “No reasonable person would see this as acceptable.”
The source also noted that some videos include advertisements, suggesting users may be profiting from the content. Another user, “iamgodny,” has similarly posted close-up videos of officers in NYC along with images from their complaint records.
According to a veteran police officer, the harassment is worsened by signals from political leadership. “People take their lead from City Hall,” the officer said. “They’re more likely to act out under an administration that is sympathetic to them versus a law-and-order administration.”
The Detectives Endowment Association is advocating for state legislation requiring the public to maintain at least a 25-foot distance from officers while on duty and prohibiting the sharing of officers’ addresses. Scott Munro, the union’s president, cited Florida’s Halo Law as a model. “Florida’s Halo Law makes it clear they stand with police – not those who harass them,” he said. “It’s time New York does the same if we want to stop losing detectives and officers to states that value our men and women in blue.”
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