The 48 second clip featuring Const Konstantin Orshansky has become internet shorthand for that awkward moment when a traffic stop looks like it wandered into a Charter rights tutorial gone wrong. The video appears to show a denial of protected rights during a stop and it raises real questions about lawful detention and officer obligations under Canadian law.

Quick facts from the clip

The short video is useful because it highlights a few tidy legal points that police and citizens alike should remember. Under the Canadian Charter a person has the right to counsel and protection from unreasonable search and seizure. Police need legal grounds to detain someone and they should not frustrate access to a lawyer. If those limits are crossed the conduct and any evidence can be reviewed in court or by oversight bodies.

Your rights during a traffic stop

Knowing your rights does not make you invincible. It does however keep the conversation anchored in something less chaotic than rumor and adrenaline. Key points to remember while politely pretending to be calm include

• You can ask why you were stopped. Asking is not confessing to anything.
• You have the right to request counsel. If you ask for a lawyer the request should be respected or at minimum recorded on body worn camera or other agency audio.
• Police need reasonable grounds for detention or search. If they do not have them the detention may be unlawful.
• Recording in public is generally lawful in Canada and daily life shows footage often settles he said she said disputes.

Practical steps if this happens to you

Keep calm because screaming produces viral video but not great legal outcomes. Try this checklist like a boring but effective buffoon.

1. Stay calm and speak clearly. Panic convinces no one and may escalate risk.
2. Ask for the reason for the stop. Record the officer name and badge if visible.
3. Request counsel and note how the officer responds. If they say no record that too.
4. Record the interaction from a safe distance with your phone. Make sure the camera is capturing audio and faces where possible.
5. Make a written note of time names and witnesses as soon as you can after the encounter.
6. Upload a backup copy of any video to cloud storage or send it to a trusted contact right away so it cannot be lost or altered.

Avoid physical resistance unless you want a side trip into new legal problems. Quiet documentation beats chest beating in court.

Filing complaints and seeking remedies

If you believe your Charter rights were interfered with file a formal complaint with the police service and the oversight agency that covers that force. Keep the evidence secure and speak with a lawyer about whether Charter remedies could apply in your case. Remedies can range from disciplinary measures to evidence being ruled inadmissible in court depending on the severity of the breach.

What investigators and advocates should notice

This clip works as a compact case study. It highlights how quickly lawful authority can blur into overreach and how civilian recordings can shift a narrative from he said she said to documented fact. Those recordings are often the hinge around which accountability turns.

Final tips you can use right now

• Do not resist. It rarely helps and it usually makes things worse.
• Ask for a lawyer and keep asking until the request is recorded on official audio or visible on a body camera.
• Upload footage to the cloud or send it to someone you trust the moment you can. A copy on someone else device is insurance against accidental deletion and suspicious editing.
• If you intend to file a complaint gather witnesses and preserve timestamps and any metadata from the recording.

Short recordings can change outcomes. They do not guarantee victory but they level the playing field. If you saw the clip of Const Konstantin Orshansky and wondered what to do next now you have a practical checklist and the slightly unpleasant satisfaction of knowing your phone can be your best unwitting ally.