A YouTube video analyzing a City of Canandaigua police encounter involving an autistic father and his young son has prompted widespread criticism of the police department and intensified online debate over civil rights, police conduct and government use of social media.
The video, published by a civil rights attorney and commentator, centers on body-worn camera footage from a Nov. 15, 2025 encounter in which a Canandaigua police officer stops a man who was playing Pokémon Go with his 10-year-old son on a city sidewalk. The officer questions the father about a wet spot on his pants, repeatedly asks whether he has been drinking or using drugs, checks his identification, searches his bag and later speaks directly with the child before ending the encounter without making an arrest.
In the footage, the father explains that the wet spot resulted from an accidental urine leak and states multiple times that he does not drink or use drugs. The officer expresses skepticism, telling the man the pants appear “way too wet for just a little dribble,” and suggests that a “grown man with wet pants” must be “on something.” The officer also asks personal questions unrelated to any alleged crime, including whether the man lives alone and whether he is still with the child’s mother.
At one point, the officer instructs the father to walk over to the patrol car, retains his identification and runs a warrant check. The officer then searches the man’s backpack, examining items including electronics, hygiene supplies and personal effects. Afterward, the officer tells the father, “I’m going to talk to your son and then I’ll let you go,” before questioning the child briefly and ending the stop…