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The 26-year-old had been taking pictures of a crash in Churchdown, Gloucestershire when a traffic officer took his camera and told him “you’re lucky I didn’t knock you out”.
In video footage that was uploaded to Youtube, the officer, claimed to be Sergeant Tony Wallace, seized the cameraman's equipment after abusing him with swear words and threats.
The incident happened when the photographer, who has withheld his name, attended the crash where an 86-year-old was involved in a fatal car accident outside a Tesco store on November 19.
After getting their too late, he returns to take photos of a dented car at the scene an hour later.
He is then approached by Sgt Wallace "spitting" and "swearing" at him.
The video begins with the message: "He takes the camera out of my hands, gets right in my face to the point where he’s spitting at me, swears at me several times, says the camera is being seized and I am going to be arrested for obstructing a police officer.
"After about a minute or two of this confrontation I got my phone out but was afraid he would seize this too. However he didn’t, and I began filming in a subtle way."
As the photographer tries to reason with Sgt Wallace, the officer appears to make blatant attempt to threaten the snapper.
Sgt Wallace is heard saying in a Scottish accent: "We’ll nick you now and I will make your day a living hell, cause you’ll be in that cell all day.
"What I’ll probably do is I will ask for you to be remanded in custody and I will put you before the magistrate.... and they’ll be like, what a t** you’ve been."
He also heard saying: "You’re lucky that I didn’t knock you out. I swore at you, yeah. It got your attention, though, didn’t it?"
Gloucestershire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Martin Surl, said the officer "has fallen far short of the behaviour expected".
“I have only seen the public facing evidence, but it appears the officer swore at a member of the public, follows that up by saying he was lucky not to have been assaulted by the police, is threatened with arrest, mistreatment and a remand in custody.
“I appreciate the work of the police can be very challenging, but no matter what the situation they should deal with the public in a civil and responsible manner at all times.
“It is the responsibility of the Chief Constable to manage complaints against police officers, my role is to hold the police to account. It appears the officer involved has fallen far short of the behaviour expected and required by the Constabulary."
