51-year-old YouTuber accused of pepper-spraying people for views arrested and facing $1M lawsuit

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A YouTuber is facing arrest and a potential lawsuit – possibly exceeding $1 million – after being accused of spraying shoppers with pepper spray to get more views on their videos.

Police say the incident occurred in the parking lot of a Mountain View, California Costco. They report that the suspect intentionally started an argument with a man and then sprayed something in his face.

Richard Maza, a 51-year-old man, is accused of intentionally filming a shopper to create content for his YouTube channel. Maza’s channel centers around what he calls “First Amendment audits,” which involve recording people in public spaces and attempting to get a reaction, frequently leading to disagreements or altercations.

According to police, Maza and a group of others had already received complaints before the incident occurred. Several people had called to report the group was bothering customers outside the store earlier that day.

The incident turned serious when the victim, while putting groceries in his car, asked why the group was recording him. According to police, the group started making fun of him, and things quickly got worse. Maza reportedly then used pepper spray, saying he was acting in self-defense.

But the Mountain View Voice reports that investigators think the conflict was deliberately planned.

Police say YouTuber provoked people and sprayed them with pepper spray

According to the police report, the YouTuber intentionally caused reactions from others to generate popular videos, which contradicts arguments that the assault was reasonable.

At first, the injured person said they didn’t need medical help, but later started experiencing severe symptoms. They described their blurred vision as if looking through wrinkled plastic wrap. Doctors determined they had a scratched cornea, and their vision remained significantly impaired for several days.

Okay, so I’ve been following this whole thing with Maza, and apparently Officer Wong from Mountain View actually checked out his YouTube channel. He noticed something pretty interesting – videos where people got pepper sprayed got way more views than anything else Maza posted. It’s kind of messed up, but that’s what he found when he was looking into it.

Wong claimed Maza made fun of people who had been harmed online, and suggested this behavior wasn’t what you’d expect from someone genuinely protecting themselves.

According to his report, Maza and his team weren’t just recording people; they were deliberately trying to provoke them with insults and personal jabs. It seems they were intentionally being confrontational, hoping to incite an attack on themselves.

Maza faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and illegal use of tear gas. Police also discovered three canisters of pepper spray on him. His car has been taken into custody, and officials are seeking a warrant to search it for further evidence.

Attacking someone with a dangerous weapon could result in up to four years in prison, while illegally using tear gas carries a maximum sentence of three years. If convicted of both offenses, the total prison time could be as long as seven years.

YouTuber faces possible lawsuit over $1M

Now, legal action is underway.

The victim’s lawyer states the injuries may have lasting effects, including significant vision loss – initial reports indicate up to 80%. The lawsuit is anticipated to request damages potentially exceeding one million dollars.

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Attorney Andrew Watters said he plans to sue Maza for racketeering and injury.

Generally, people have the right to film in public spaces thanks to the First Amendment. However, officials point out that actions like starting fights or physically attacking someone are illegal.

This comes as other creators are facing charges for their own controversial content.

In Canada, YouTuber Fique Ayub was arrested after yelling “gun” in a crowded movie theater.

In South Korea, streamer Johnny Somali is facing up to three years in prison, potentially including manual labor, due to the content he broadcasted. He is currently waiting to learn his sentence.

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2026-04-09 21:49