New Details Released In Confrontation Between YouTuber, Trooper In Groton

GROTON, CT — New details have been released after a New York man was arrested following a confrontation with an off-duty police officer at his Groton home regarding the officer's overtime pay.

SeanPaul Reyes, 34, of Gorham, New York, who calls himself "an independent journalist and Constitutional activist," is a YouTube content creator. His channel Long Island Audit has 948,000 subscribers.

Reyes and his cameraman, Taheim Glover, 20, of Selden, New York, went to the home of an off-duty state police officer on Friday. The officer has been identified by Reyes and in media sources as Sgt. Bryan Fahey.

Reyes said in a statement, he intended "to exercise his First Amendment right to ask Fahey questions about" his overtime.

Reyes “arrived at the home with a box truck playing video footage of a prior interaction between the parties,” according to police. Reyes' video shows him in front of the box truck's enormous screen outside the home's driveway.

Reyes walks up to the home and rings the doorbell. Fahey answers the door and tells Reyes to leave the property. Fahey then goes back inside his home, and Reyes and the cameraman begin walking away.

Fahey then comes back out of the home with a handgun at his side, the video shows, shouting at Reyes to get off his property.

In a statement, Reyes said, "On several occasions – Sgt. Fahey obscenely cites his authority within the Connecticut State Police" as he moves toward Reyes and at one point, Reyes claims, spits in his face.

Town of Groton police responded to the incident. Police confirmed that there was a verbal confrontation and the off-duty officer retrieved a gun. Reyes and the off-duty officer have an ongoing civil litigation, according to police.

Reyes and Glover were charged with second-degree beach of peace, first-degree criminal trespass and voyeurism with malice, according to police.

Reyes and Fahey had previous history, including a confrontation in 2021 when Reyes claimed he was "unlawfully detained by state police for filming at Bradley International Airport."

He also posted a video depicting a prior run-in with Fahey in 2023.

The state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection declined comment on the case. The department confirmed on Tuesday to Patch that "Sgt. Fahey is an active member of the Connecticut State Police and is not suspended nor is he on administrative leave at present."

Groton police said in a statement that this is an active investigation and that there would be no further comment.