When The Suspect Is Smarter Than The Detective | Forensic Files

I'm not signing nothing okay I've been through the system buddy I know how I know you have
you're not my friend all you're trying to get is some stupid ass confession and you're not going to get one on a
seemingly regular evening in 2011 alarm Bells began to sound itself in a local 7-Eleven reports of an armed robbery
began flooding into the local police department but upon arrival at the scene the suspect was nowhere to be found
after expanding the search that's when it's assumed police heard commotion in a house nearby and without any other leads
they stormed in discovering a known heroin addict sitting inside with a gun without any other evidence they arrested
the man and brought him to be interviewed the so-called addict was Jeff Pearson the man who committed the
robbery and the following goes down in history as one of the only times a man singlehandedly beat the cops at their
own game all that while experiencing horrific heroin withdrawal this is what happens when the suspect
outsmarts the cop the next 24 hours were captured on police cameras within the interview room but conversely to most
footage similar to this it was originally uploaded to the suspect's own YouTube channel on the 25th of September
2011 this is the first sign of what makes Jeff a cult figure and a legend within the interrogation Community Jeff
was held in police custody for almost an entire day but all of the footage AG from the three interrogation sessions
held barely 15 minutes given that robbery and arrest took place within the state of Georgia the usual minimum
sentence would be around 10 years imprisonment ranging up to a maximum of life without parole but it would
transpire that Jeff wouldn't end up doing a minute of this time and instead of serving multiple decades Behind Bars
he spent a day being served drinks and Candy while delivering a master class in what to do while in police custody the
following footage shows us in stunning detail what methods the cops will try on you and how to dodge them like an
absolute Pro the footage starts with Jeff handcuffed in a small windowless room dressed in prison scrubs it's clear
he's already been processed and spent some time in a Cell likely while the cops spent some time Gathering the
evidence and prepared to question him am I under arrest for now I'm under arrest
yeah I I'll explain everything but before I talk before I explain myself to you if we we talk to each other I need
to read your rights okay what am I on a right for well like I said I need to read your rights first obviously the
charge is robbery okay Jeff immediately opens by asking if he's under arrest and
on what grounds from the first moment it's evident that Jeff has done his research as this is exactly what you
should be doing in this situation from here there are two options if you're not being arrested or detained you can state
that you're also not obligated to stay and answer questions and you should be completely free to leave the
interrogation if you are being arrested you can then immediately ask for a lawyer and stay silent until you're
provided with one these options give you the best chance of stopping the police in their tracks and allow you to create
the best defense possible what's amusing is that when you're being arrested in America the officer is actually legally
obligated to remind you of this take a listen to the Miranda warning that this detective reads out to Jeff you the
rights remain silent anything you say can will be used against you in the court of law you have the right to talk
to the lawyer for advice before he question you if you cannot afford to hire a lawyer and you want one a lawyer
will be a provider for you if you decide to answer questions now that lawyer president you'll still have the right to
stop answer questions any time does that make sense you probably heard these before haven't you these three points
are incredibly important and are often overlooked by the average citizen due to the Panic of being arrested in the first
place alongside this because of how much we hear these lines in media such as police shows and movies most people
completely glaze over it when they're being read these rights and fail to take into account that they're actually being
provided with useful information that allows you to stay safe and protected while in police custody what this
detective didn't mention though is that if you ask for a lawyer while under arrest they are not allowed to continue
questioning and you have a complete unquestionable right to refuse to answer any questions they may ask until you're
provided with an attorney the detective also ends the rights with a snide remark
about Jeff's past meant to subconsciously remind him that he is a previously convicted criminal do you
understand your rights do you understand your rights Jeff yes or no you understand we're
getting paid more than you are so we can sit here for a long time man I just need
you to answer me yes or no do you understand your eyes let's get through that question do you understand what I
read you do you comprehend what I read you Jeff has been explicitly told he has the right to remain silent so that's
exactly what he's deciding to do right here the leading detective leans back in his chair This was meant to show that
he's unconcerned with Jeff's silence and that he can stay there as long as necessary but body language like this
usually indicates some form of unrest it's clear that the detective knows that this is going to be a tricky few hours
for them if you got something that says you didn't do this robbery this is your chance to talk to
us okay good C uh no usually I'm the prick you look like the brick I am if it's dominance
we're talking about Jeff just took everything the cops had and dumped it in that garbage can I'm not asking if you
want to talk to me at this point I just want to know do you understand what I read to you that's all am I under arest
yes you're under arrest get me back to the cell I don't talk to you [ __ ] okay enough in this first
round of interrogation Jeff exhibited exactly the correct Behavior given his current circumstances he knows the cops
have nothing on him they wouldn't be there talking to him in the first place if they did so he stays silent and so
it's off back to his cell he goes but 2 hours later he's brought back to the same room for round
two you want to Coke [Music] yeah you going me pop it open or you need me too yeah I need methodone you need methodone
yeah you you have method I don't have any do you have a medication for it or I mean a prescription for
it what do you need methodone for cuz I'm a [ __ ] junkie and you guys I can't get no me I'm going go through
withdraw here a minute a can of soda is all Jeff requested before he returned to
the interrogation room but he immediately mentions the withdrawals that he's likely already starting to
feel however methadone the drug Jeff asked for at the start of this conversation can be used to
significantly reduce the effects of the withdrawal it can even reduce the Cravings he's also probably been
experiencing for the entire time he's been in police custody how long you been using heroin long time buddy 10 years 15
years I hardly been alive that long what are you trying to talk to me about here
talk to you about what happened last night look here's the deal either you're in a bad bad set of circumstances or you
went committed an armed robbery last night yeah I'm in a shitty uh wrong place at wrong time obviously I didn't
commit no [ __ ] armed robbery all right then let's talk about this I don't have nothing I don't talk to the police
man Jeff is clearly through with the personal talk and wants to get back to the matter at hand in his eyes he's been
arrested for something he didn't do and wants to get out of there as quickly as possible okay I've been through the
system buddy I know how it works you I know you have you're not my friend I'm not your friend you're trying to [ __ ]
get me you're trying all you're trying to get is some [ __ ] stupid ass [ __ ] confession and you're not going
to get one Jeff I'm not going to get a confession out of you for nothing exactly because I didn't do nothing
trying to get a confession out of you okay I'm going to tell you I ain't commit no armed robbery and y'all ain't
got no [ __ ] evidence saying I did let me go all you did is find me sitting in my buddy's house cuz my [ __ ] Buddy's
dogs going ape [ __ ] I go outside there are comps everywhere and they Spotlight
me they say come here I say what's up they search me they ain't find nothing what's up let me read this no cuz I'm
not going to sign it you don't have to sign it but let me read it for you okay I'm not signing nothing you don't have
to sign it the irony of this cop saying he's not trying to get Jeff while he has
him handcuffed in an interrogation room questioning him is very amusing but even
through all this every part of what Jeff said here is so perfect it almost sounds
rehearsed it's an incredible display of personal legal defense and is even more impressive when you layer it with the
fact that Jeff is almost definitely starting to experience withdrawals I also want to highlight the point Jeff
made about how cops are simply trying to force a confession out of him one of the
main techniques used in these interrogations is the read technique developed by a former cop and
psychologist in the 1960s after he extracted a confession from a man accused of murdering his own wife the
technique consists of nine steps beginning with a polite discussion about why the suspect is being accused of the
crime followed by using certain body language and actions within the interrogation as a display of guilt the
method ends with offering the suspect two alternative statements they can agree with one of which is slightly more
acceptable than the other But whichever is chosen admits guilt and is counted as
a confession this method forces the suspect into a corner and is exceedingly good at extracting false confessions
from innocent suspects and fact the original case that technique was formed around fell apart after discovering that
the man in fact did not kill his wife and was tricked into giving a false confession absolutely Next Level
gaslighting tell me what happened last night plain and simple your your side of the story I'm not talking to you
I all right this is what I don't understand I know but this is what I don't understand
Jeff you were sitting there talking just like you're ready to sit here and tell me what happened last
night and then all of a sudden I read that to you and just screw it I ain't talking to you I want a lawyer I don't
understand that what what changed just in cuz I told you what I already told you what happened you didn't how didn't
I you didn't tell me what happened last night how didn't I just tell you what but now you've handcuffed me and I can't
talk to you because you've asked for an attorney so okay that's fine but I will tell you right now you're still on a
hold for a robbery I know I don't know why I need a [ __ ] lawyer because uh obviously didn't do nothing and
obviously you guys know I didn't do nothing because I've been arrested for the same [ __ ] before and you guys
don't interview me this much so wham bam thank you for the coke put me back in a
sell my interviewed you yet Jeff has now asked for a lawyer and is once again refusing to answer questions but we're
only halfway through this footage and Jeff's ability to defend himself and completely destroy this cop only gets
better from here here's what the deal is I have enough evidence like what of the
armed robbery okay but you know if if you're saying you didn't do it you need to give me your
side of the story I didn't do it okay well give me your side of the story you got mean convince me because I got a lot
of evidence I got a lot of physical evidence like what name why don't need why should I tell you there this is
where the detective starts to become desperate he knows he's running out of time and so has completely abandoned any
elaborate techniques or methods to try and get information out of him he's now instead moved on to essentially just
threatening him with false claims of evidence that he can easily use to convict Jeff if all of this was true
he'd likely be trying to use it to intimidate Jeff into panicking and giving up more information but instead
he uses a flimsy rhetoric claiming that because Jeff hasn't helped him he won't help Jeff there's only a couple pieces
of evidence I'm missing not even What's that name why why I need to do that you haven't helped me out at all you give me
a little bit I give you a little bit we go back and forth I give you one of my piece of evidence Now give me a little
something all right what time you get over to Aaron's house you know I know anything I say
here can and will be used against me sure but anything you say here I can also tell your your parole officer that
you helped me out it do mean b now the detective is desperately trying to bargain with Jeff if he helps the cops
out they'll put in a good word with his parole officer but Jeff immediately realizes that means absolutely nothing
what does a gold star mean if you're stuck in prison for 20 years this further enforces the idea that cops have
absolutely nothing to convict Jeff with and also shows that they know they're running out of time Jeff has asked for a
lawyer yet they're still sitting there questioning him as if that's not a blatant violation of the rights that
they have read to Jeff on three separate occasions they know that if they don't get anything out of him soon their time
will run out and Jeff is watching the clock closely for the next 4 minutes of the interrogation Jeff continues to deny
and combat anything the police say to him they bring up the gun that he was found with continue to try and strike a
deal and even try to scare him by taunting him with what being back in prison would be like and without any of
the drugs he's grown in dependency to but throughout all of this Jeff stays totally stone-faced he knows he's almost
one I'm done man [ __ ] this I'm not even answering all this [ __ ] that I just said
is going to be [ __ ] written in the discovery now right what you haven't said nothing I mean every little stupid
thing that you've asked me dude is going to be in the discovery I'm not going to
do Discovery who the prosecutor is okay I mean you you halfway know the system how things work you halfway don't
am I right I half ass know that the only reason I came up here is to get a [ __ ] Coke okay and I got it but now I
want a butter figer but that's not going to happen for a while what the butter figer why
[Music] not I need to go to hospital I'm cing up blood yeah let's go for the last few hours the
police have been questioning a man who is clearly in pain denying him access to the legal prescription drug that would
help him deal with his issues and questioning him repeatedly on a crime for which they have no evidence for all
the while Jeff dealt with this as casually as possible asking for sodas and chocolate bars Jeff knew misspeaking
at any point could lead him down a slippery slope so he exerted his rights in the perfect way and 12 hours later
it's recorded that he was released from custody and sent on his merry way it's also reported that from here Jeff began
to turn his life around he's off heroin and now spends his time uploading to the
same YouTube channel the footage from this video was uploaded to He makes music and even gives extra tips on how
to avoid the police's tricks

Interrogations like this don't happen often where the suspect outsmarts the detectives and knows EXACTLY what to do... This is the story of Jeff, who is one of the people who got out of an interrogation better than he went in.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This video was made for educational purposes only. The video is presented to provide genuine footage of police incidents to promote transparency in government while providing educational, informative and newsworthy content allowing viewers to learn about the legal system and the psychology of those involved. The individuals shown in this video have not been convicted of any crime and are legally presumed innocent unless proven otherwise in a court of law. This material is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and represents personal analysis and commentary. Nothing presented should be interpreted as legal counsel, and the observations provided may not include all circumstances or reflect the final charges in any case. All footage is used under fair use for educational and transformative purposes.Interrogations like this don't happen often where the suspect outsmarts the detectives and knows EXACTLY what to do... This is the story of Jeff, who is one of the people who got out of an interrogation better than he went in.

Brief Summary

Jeff Pearson outsmarts police during his interrogation, avoiding confession and prison time while showcasing his legal knowledge.

Key points

Jeff Pearson's Defiance. In a tense interrogation, Jeff Pearson refuses to confess to a crime he didn't commit.
A Cult Figure Emerges. Jeff's interrogation becomes legendary, showcasing his resilience and wit.
The Art of Interrogation. Jeff showcases his knowledge of police tactics, refusing to be manipulated.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

You're not my friend, all you're trying to get is some stupid ass confession.

Jeff Pearson defends himself during interrogation.

0:05WatchJan 21, 2023

Tension

70/ 100High tension

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