Season 4, Week 3, of the A&E Hit

Here’s what you missed on Live PD this weekend.

Live PD is the ratings-winning, three-hour law enforcement ride-along show that ordinarily airs fresh episodes on Friday and Saturday evenings (with occasional bonus episodes on other nights) at 9 p.m. Eastern time on the A&E television network. Live PD producers and videographers embed in real time with officers on patrol from eight different U.S. police agencies. 

The Missoulian outlines the advantages and disadvantages of Live PD for law enforcement:

“Live PD has proven a mixed bag for cities and counties featured on the hit reality-TV crime show. Some police departments and sheriff’s offices have touted increased recruitment and public support after being filmed and broadcast live to the nation. But others have seen lawsuits, increased officer danger and pushback from citizens who felt the show focused on the worst parts of their hometowns. The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office recently entered into a contract with Live PD…allowing the show unfettered access to its day-to-day operations. In a statement, MCSO said it was honored to be featured on the show beginning Sept. 20.

“But at least three jurisdictions have been sued by people filmed on the show, and others have reported impeded investigations, officers being distracted in dangerous situations, and negative publicity. Those issues are also accompanied by concerns of people being treated and portrayed as guilty, rather than allowing for a judge or jury to decide that, tarnishing the reputations of people falsely accused or acquitted.

“In Streetsboro, Ohio, a suburb of Akron, Police Chief Darin Powers eventually decided to end the contract with the show’s producer, Big Fish Entertainment, in 2018 after it began to cost the department money.

“Because filming crews were crowding the patrol cars, additional officers were needed to transport suspects, leading to manpower and overtime issues, Powers told the Columbus Dispatch at the time.”

There are media reports that Terre Haute, Ind, PD is joining Live PD soon, which also suggests that another department might be exiting the show.

Given its often intense action, unpredictability, danger, plus quirky and humorous, and sometimes mundane, interactions between cops and citizens, Live PD is perhaps the closest thing that even approaches appointment TV anymore in the fragmented entertainment space. (Live PD has also spawned several spin-offs.)

A Live PD recap follows below. 

Live Plus Previously Recorded Incidents

With 32 live feeds coming into the studio, most segments are broadcast on a reported five- to 20-minute tape delay. When nothing of interest is happening in real time, pretaped segments air, which Live PD describes as incidents that happened “earlier.”

For viewers, Live PD is addicting, which perhaps is an unfortunate choice of words in this context. While millions of Americans experiment — and more than experiment — with drugs when younger, Live PD reveals a self-destructive cohort hooked on narcotics (and/or booze) well into middle age and beyond.

Many thanks to Twitter user TG LivePD (@TLivepd) who usually compiles and shares video clips from each episode on social media. Also thanks to the @LivePDFans and @LivePDPundit Twitter feeds and several other social media users.

As the Live PD disclaimer indicates, not all outcomes are known or final, and criminal charges, if any, may have been reduced, dismissed, or never filed.

When alleged criminal activities are depicted on Live PD, all persons are presumed innocent unless convicted in a court of law.

Controlled Control Room Chaos

Don Cesareo, the founder and president of Live PD producer Big Fish Entertainment, told Deadline Hollywood that “Live PD is one of most enjoyable shows to produce because it’s such a challenge. We do a lot of prep work in terms of the field, but really what happens is that you show up on a Friday night and settle into the control room and all of the camera feeds come up and the show starts and we don’t have a run down and have three hours of TV to create. The easiest way to describe it is like having eight live breaking stories at the exact same time, but you don’t know all of the details. There’s an energy and controlled chaos that works.”

According to Cesareo, “The show originated after he and his team came across police departments that were live tweeting patrols.” Cesareo also mentioned that yet another spinoff, America’s Top Dog, is coming this winter.

And as announced, Live PD:Wanted, focusing on bringing fugitives to justice, premieres on Thursday, October 17. Live PD will air on bonus, two-hour episode of Live PD on October 17 as a lead-in to Live PD: Wanted.

Rules or No Rules of the Road?

Many subjects who appear on the show in law enforcement interactions are covered with tattoos (as are the cops more often than not), love cigarettes, and often have warrants.

They often carry contraband on their person and/or in their vehicles, the latter which are often unregistered and/or uninsured.

Transporting contraband such as controlled substances plus no valid license/registration is usually an ill-advised combination as is contraband plus vehicle equipment malfunctions.

Alleged drug traffickers who fail to abide by routine traffic laws or, as noted, lack working vehicle running lights or other related equipment, can also wind up in big trouble following a probable cause search.

Two Beers, Not My Pants, and Other Mantras

“I only had two beers” is a familiar mantra from motorists pulled over upon being asked by cops if they had anything to drink that evening.

Another mantra is “not that I know of” when cops question a subject as to whether there might be illegal drugs in a vehicle or even on their person. In the alternative, subjects also often claim that drugs “belong to a friend.”

From time to time, they also claim that the pants that they are wearing in which cops find drugs belong to a friend.

Separately on the subject of wardrobe, males who appear on Live PD often don’t take the time to put on a shirt even when a cop shows up at their front door.

“Not my jacket” or “not my purse” are also familiar refrains.

In addition to the drug epidemic across across the country as well as alcoholism, the obesity epidemic is also frequently on display.

When a subject begins a sentence with “I’m going to be honest with you, officer,” or the equivalent, you can generally expect that things will quickly go sideways.

Some mouthy subjects argue themselves into an arrest (i.e., talking themselves into handcuffs) even when cops are about to let them go with minor infractions, citations, or warnings.

Some suspects seem more concerned about smoking one last cigarette before jail than they are about going to jail.

Several of the cops, many of whom are impressively observant when they question subjects or investigate crime scenes, have become social media celebrities as a result of their participation in Live PD. Some of them may have a career in media or politics after they retire.

As an aside, officers across the country have a tendency to ungrammatically add the preposition “at” to the end of a sentence. I.e.: “Where do you live at?” or “Where is he/she at?” Cops often address subjects as “bro,” “dude,” “bud,” “man,” or “boss.”

Expect the Unexpected

Traffic stops — the primary but not the only enforcement actions seen on Live PD — are often like a flea market. Viewers never know what the officers might find inside a vehicles after either a consensual search or a probable cause search pursuant to a K9 alert or for another legal justification.

Apart from drugs and weapons, among the weird items they often find include bottles of presumably clean urine used to circumvent a drug test. Sex toys also show up from time to time.

Moreover, as suggested above, no license, no registration, and no insurance consists of a trifecta in many of those stops. (A disproportionate number of pick-up trucks seem to have issues when stopped by law enforcement officers).

Mismatched plates, expired (and/or doctored) temporary tags, and the like are also frequent infractions.

You’ll also note that subjects are typically clutching their phones at all times no matter what, even officers are trying to talk with them or or even when getting cuffed.

Excessively tinted windows beyond what is legally allowed increasingly constitute a safety issue for officers in traffic stops.

Driver’s License Optional

Somehow in America, a valid driver’s license became an optional credential for many motorists. Driving with impunity while suspended has become a thing.

Motorists sometimes claim to have a valid driver’s license, but for some inexplicable reason, they aren’t carrying it with them. Or it was stolen. Is it any wonder that the cops often ask the person behind the wheel if he or she has a drivers license on them?

Occasionally drivers will say that they have a picture of their license, registration, or other required documents on their phone rather than in their physical form.

Officers often give break to those who are driving illegally, however. Sometimes cops will allow the motorist to drive directly home or call another licensed driver to the scene to take over behind the wheel.

Judging by these traffic stops, driving while buzzed seems to be a growing, as it were, problem across the country. Weed laws vary significantly from state to state. Some jurisdictions have decriminalized possession of small amounts.

Some, but not all, of the subjects that police make contact with express excitement about being on Live PD (although occasionally they think they’re on Cops).

In switching quickly from sequence to sequence, and as you’ll see below, Live PD does not always provide an update of how cops resolved a particular encounter, if at all.

As alluded to above, K9s well trained in drug detecting and human tracking regularly assist cops in their investigations on Live PD. Note that because of changes in the laws of some states, K9s in certain jurisdictions no longer get trained for weed sniffing.

This Weekend on Live PD

If you’re wondering what happened on Live PD this weekend, a recap/summary of Friday and Saturday night’s Live PD editions follows.

Substituting for Tulsa PD Sgt. Sean “Sticks” Larkin, Live PD Nation favorite Cpl. Mark Laureano of the Richland County Sheriff’s Office joined host Dan Abrams — he of the puns and the double entendres — and regular studio analyst Tom Morris, Jr. to provide commentary from the show’s New York City base for this weekend’s episodes.

Again, please understand that what is depicted on the show, and summarized below, including but not limited to any arrests, constitute mere allegations. Initial assessments made by cops or Live PD may be incorrect.

Live PD, Season 4, Episode 7, October 11, 2019

  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Officers respond to report of attack with a pipe. Subject detained; cops find more than 100 condoms in bag along with drug paraphernalia.
  • Lafayette, La. — Officers respond to break-in at residence involving stolen medication. Subject spotted at bus stop and detained.
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Deputies spot dirt bike riding on walkway.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Traffic stop on vehicle that initially didn’t pull over. Car search; no contraband found. Lt. Brown issue ticket for driving under suspension. If driver will write three-page paper and straighten out license issue, Lt. Brown will drop ticket. Driver and passenger released. Abrams: “‘Prof’ Danny Brown there will be grading that paper.”
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officers respond to shooting report. One suspect detained. Officer search woods for other subjects who may be suspects or victims. Cops detain man who was hiding in bushes. Officer: “he’s got berries.” Officers search bushes for bag that may have contained a gun.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Cops make wellness check on woman laying on ground at bus stop. Abrams: “I know I heard a reference to the yellow brick road there. I just don’t know how exactly what it was related to.”
  • Richland County, S.C. — Deputies pursue what they thought was a stolen moped. Subject detained on highway. Turns out that moped wasn’t stole; plate on moped was stolen. Deputies remove tag and probably release driver.
  • Lawrence, Ind. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “Police encountered a couple of guys who seemed more than a bit out of it after allegedly wetting their whistles.” Traffic stop; driving on opposite side of road. Driver and passenger uncommunicative. Officer Hazelwood: “Appears that they’ve taken some sort of narcotic.” EMS summoned for passenger. Driver’s license was suspended; he is released to walk home, and car impounded. Abrams: “We’ve seen some people invoke their right to remain silent, and then there are other people who just are silent…when he was referring to ‘wet’ — that is apparently when you dip a joint into PCP.”
  • East Providence, R.I. — Traffic stop; speeding. Released on warning.
  • Tulsa, Okla. (pretaped segment): Abrams: “An attempt to pull over a truck for a traffic violation turned into a pursuit with a bizarre ending.” Truck wrecked out in chase; occupants apparently fled. Cops detained two subjects in nearby backyard. Truck was not stolen. Subject had multiple car keys and IDs in bag. The other subject who banged his head on picnic bench transported to hospital.
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Det. Sunderland provides backup on attempt to serve felony warrant. Vehicle pursuit; subject detained but is not the guy who they were looking for. Sunderland questions him to try to find out why he’s using that particular vehicle. Subject arrested on five outstanding warrants unrelated to this operation. Cops track original subject to motel, but he may not be there either.
  • Crime of the Week — Toledo, Ohio.
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Cops respond to report of woman who alleged assaulted shoe store employee with hammer. Subject detained and denies allegation. Abrams: “She has a lot of items there in that bag; looks like a tool box.”
  • Tallahassee, Fla. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “Police pulled over a truck with a ‘killer’ inside, although maybe not the kind you’d expect. Traffic stop; expired tags and other infractions. No license. K9 deployed but not alert. BB guns (that looked like real guns) found in vehicle. Driver released with warning. Killer was the driver’s dog.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Cops respond to domestic disturbance. Boyfriend allegedly set house on fire and left the scene on foot. K9 deployed, but officers unable to find man.
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officer Hobbs tries to find some hiding in woods.
  • Missoula County, Mont. (pretaped segment) — Follow-up from previous week’s stakeout of stolen car. Driver and passenger detained. Driver arrested. Driver allegedly didn’t pay autobody shop bill; shop filed a mechanics lien. Driver allegedly took vehicle from shop without paying after lien filed.
  • Tulsa, Okla. (pretaped segment) — Abrams; “You know, you’ve all heard of bargain hunters, and in Tulsa, officers tracked down someone who was apparently looking for a real steal.” Officers investigate robbery at dollar store. Suspect detained and allegedly had dollar store items in his bag. Charges: assault and battery on employee, had misdemeanor warrant, and ticket for larceny. Store can decide to charges on the latter.
  • Wanted segment — Abilene, Tex.
  • Tulsa, Okla — Traffic stop; swerving and driving too slow. No license; no ID. “One beer.” Field sobriety test. Portable breathalyzer. Driver apparently on the edge of the legal limit. Driver released; told to park car and walk home. Officer Ross interacts with another group on music accompaniment. Cpl. Laureano: “What we saw there was community policing at its best. You gonna take that little bit of a negative and turn it into a positive.”
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Deputies respond to domestic disturbance. Woman locked herself in car; husband/boyfriend allegedly tried to force his way in. He left scene before deputies arrived. Deputies later make contact with subject and arrest him for family member assault. Cpl. Laureano: “We look at the totality of the circumstances where everybody has a side. We have to have discretion, and we have to use that discretion to make the right decision.”
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Traffic stop; running red light (also unsecured child in car). No license.
  • Missoula County, Mont. (pretaped sement) — Abrams: “In the movies, people generally try to avoid Jason, but this guy said his problem stemmed from not getting enough time with Jason.” Deputies make wellbeing check on may laying on grass. Deputies claim the man is intoxicated; EMS summoned to transport him to hospital. Morris, Jr.: “You know what I see on the street every day? Men who need a wallet makeover. And there’s a guy who needs a wallet makeover. When your wallet is packed that full of stuff, you need a wallet makeover.”
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Traffic stop; no brake lights. Suspended license. Officers tell driver to park car and walk home or call someone to drive car home. Officers give driver a break and just issue warnings instead of tickets.
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Traffic stop; speeding. Ticket for no insurance. Warning for speeding and no driver’s license. Officer Ross also informs driver that he has a 15-year-old outstanding warrant.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Deputies try to investigate alleged strong odor of marijuana coming from a business. Person inside business won’t open front door. Abrams: “Well, it sounds like there’ some ‘bidness’ going on in that business.’ End of episode.

Live PD, Season 4, Episode 8, October 12, 2019

  • Salinas, Cal. — Officers respond to report of alleged son-on-father assault at residence. Dad was visibly bleeding from facial wound. Son claims it was self defense. Screwdriver was the alleged weapon. Abrams: “They’re going to have to figure out based on the physical evidence here who to believe.” After an investigation, officers charge son with felony assault with deadly weapon and criminal threats.
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officers respond to alleged disturbance at convenience store. Officer Ross advised man to move on and stay away from convenience store, otherwise next time he will be arrested for trespassing.
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Officers respond to 911 call from child who doesn’t know the address. Officers first go to wrong address because they were unsure of the exact location of the complainant; a second residence was the correct one. There was an alleged fight at end of birthday party, but visitors had already left, and everything seemed okay.
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Traffic stop on truck for swerving. “One beer.” Field sobriety test. Portable breathalyzer administered. Driver allegedly records almost three times legal limit. Abrams: “Well, the long and short of it is she is now being arrested.”
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Officers respond to disturbance at apartment complex; alleged fight between two men. Abrams: “A lot of confusion here about what happened including why they’re grilling a Colt .45 [beer can].” No arrests; stories conflict, and no obvious injuries. Cops later return to same apartment after allegedly calling 911 and making threats about shooting people; male wearing kimono arrested for misusing 911, which is a misdemeanor. Abrams: “The fashion police are investigating there as well.”
  • Tallahassee, Fla. (pretaped segment): Abrams: “Police attempted to track down a man accused of a brutal gas station holdup.” Cops take suspect into custody who was hiding in woods. Gun found next to tree. Charges: Felony battery and burglary.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Deputies search wooded area after shots fired report.
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Traffic stop; the trifecta — expired license, no proof of insurance, and no registration. Capt. Burt gives driver a huge break; no citations, but is required to call someone with a valid license to come to the scene and move car. Abrams: “So what’s more absurd? The fact that they just pulled over a vehicle with no license, no insurance, no registration, and an open container or that there was an episode of ‘Medieval Times’ going on in the house.”
  • East Providence, R.I. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “An alleged drunk driver apparently left behind a key piece of evidence.” Officers find bumper in middle of road. Officers located driver and vehicle in his driveway. Breathalyzer records three times legal limit. DUI arrest.
  • Lafayette, La. — Traffic stop; tailgating.
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Traffic stop at gunpoint. Suspected stolen car; four year old in car. Two subjects taken into custody. Grandmother of one of the subjects is the car’s owner according to police. Apparently the couple borrowed the car but didn’t return it. Both suspects arrested for unauthorized use of motor vehicle and other charges. Cops will return keys to grandmother and park car at gas station at her request. Cops arranging for child to be turned over to a relative and/or otherwise into safe care.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Traffic stop. K9 deployed. Drugs allegedly found. Driver was wearing ankle monitor. Abrams: “We don’t know exactly what that ankle monitor is for but you can count on the fact that this is not going to help him in that situation.”
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Deputies respond to domestic incident at residence involving a neighbor dispute over a dog. Graphic: “Canine conundrum.”
  • Salinas, Ca. — Traffic stop at gunpoint. K9 deployed. Thorough car search. Someone may have fled from passenger seat. Driver charged with drug possession for sales and resisting. Car towed.
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officer Ross assists off-duty cop who is locked out of his truck. Officer says that “If we were car thieves, we’re terrible. We’d already be busted; we suck.” Ross is able to get door open.
  • East Providence, R.I. — Officers responds to residence mom wants son removed from house. Cops ask son to go somewhere else for the night.
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Officers spot man allegedly putting tires in dumpster. Turns out he was doing the reverse, i.e., removing good tires from dumpster, which is not a violation. Abrams: “Don’t tread on me. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Follow up from last night; officers arrest man on felony warrant that they were looking for. Local cops told him to come to the station and pick up his car and deputies were waiting for him.
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Cops make well-being check on allegedly intoxicated man lying on sidewalk outside gas station.
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Traffic stop; some of the occupants had warrants. Car search. Officer Ross to argumentative subject: “Congratulations; you’re the first person I’ve sent to jail tonight…a win’s a win.” Abrams: “It seems one thing is clear. This is ending in a particular way which is gonna be that this guy is going to be arrested regardless of the banter.” Cops allegedly find a typewriter, fake checks, and credit card and bank information. Cpl. Laureano points out that the Miranda warning is only required if officers are asking questions pertaining to an arrest.
  • East Providence, R.I. — Cops make well-being check on pedestrian “walking like he’s been crucified” on busy road according to Insp. Sroka. “He’s definitely not right.” Guy tells Sroka he is okay and keeps walking, but is somewhat uncooperative. Sroka: “I don’t like being in a cemetery on Halloween.”
  • Missoula County, Mont. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “You know, we’ve all had long days, but this guy really had a long day.” Deputies respond to man with facial injuries. Victim is not informative about cause of injuries. Deputies suspect that he may have fallen when trying to break in to building. EMS transports him to hospital for treatment.
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Capt. Burt spotted car that allegedly didn’t stop for deputy after hitting a deer. Abrams: “He is seemly saying he’s not the one who actually hit the deer.” Abrams: “It is legally required to report if you end up hitting a deer, and Montana is actually second in the country in terms of states for accidents–vehicles and deer.”
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Traffic stop in driveway of abandoned house. Released after questioning.
  • Missing segment — Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
  • East Providence, R.I. — Traffic stop. Insp. Sroka: “I don’t think the rear passenger is being truthful about his name. He didn’t know how to spell Smith.” Under further questioning, man finally provides real name and says he has warrants. Abrams: “[Sroka] was suspicious from the beginning about his inability to spell the name Smith. And it seems his instincts were right.”
  • Salinas, Cal. — Officers search suspicious car and find gun in trunk. End of episode.