Season 4, Week 9, 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) starting 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 currently from 12 different U.S. police departments and sheriff’s offices.

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. But first, the good idea/bad idea of the week. Is it a good idea or bad idea for a convicted felon to run a stop side with drugs and a handgun in the vehicle?

Live Plus Previously Recorded Incidents

With about 50 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 users @TLivepd, @LivePDFans, and @LivePDPundit along with several other Twitter feeds for the embedded clips and images.

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 the following:

“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.” 

Variety has more background from Cesareo:

“You could say Live PD was born out of necessity. Executives at Big Fish Entertainment, the production company behind it, realized that at a time when more TV viewers were moving to streaming services, a program that had to be watched live would be more compelling. The team noticed police departments across the U.S. ‘were providing these timely updates over the course of an evening’ to local residents via Twitter, says Dan Cesareo, who formed Big Fish. ‘We found it fascinating.’

“Getting things right took time — even after Live PD launched. Producers had to get access to police departments. Once they got on air, they had to learn to steel themselves against the temptation to jump from one feed to the next whenever a conflict or action appeared to be in the offing. ‘When you do something new that hasn’t been done before, there’s not a road map,’ says Cesareo. ‘It took us four to six months, probably, just to get comfortable with our own setup.’

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. Sometimes “not my car” also is part of the cop-citizen dialogue.

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 just a warning.

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,” “partner,” or “boss.” And instead asking subjects where they live, officers ask them where they “stay.”

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).

For law-abiding motorists sharing the road, the recurrence of non-insurance scenarios has to be disturbing.

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

In addition to a cigarette fixation, you’ll also note that subjects are typically clutching and/or using 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 weed-sniffing training.

This Weekend on Live PD

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

Host Dan Abrams — he of the puns and the double entendres — and regular studio analysts Tom Morris, Jr., and Tulsa PD Sgt. Sean “Sticks” Larkin provide studio commentary as usual.

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 22, November 29, 2019

  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Deputies pursue driver who fled from traffic stop. Truck goes off road; foot search in wooded area.
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Officers search for shoplifting suspect who fled on foot. Sgt. Gabe Slaybaugh detained suspect at Dominos coming out ouf bathroom. Gun found in bathroom trash can.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Lt. Danny Brown makes contact with two males in mall parking lot. Brown allegedly smelled marijuana odor in car. One of the subjects admitted to having gun in car. Brown: “Bad recipe when we’re walking up on a car like that. This is why we always want to see hands.” Turns out the AR-15 is legal; citation issued for marijuana, but gun confiscated because of marijuana in car. No other charges.
  • Jefferson County, Ala. — Deputies spot alleged stolen vehicle; driver detained outside of convenience store. Car search. Driver charged with receiving stolen property and drug paraphernalia.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Lt. Brown and other deputies detain subject after foot pursuit. Abrams: “Danny Brown can sometimes run as fast as a dog. I don’t think he had a dog with him there. That was a technique he was using.” Morris, Jr.: “[Brown] called an audible there. Make him think there’s a dog coming too, so maybe he’ll slow down and stop, and then [Cpl.] Walmsley came in and took him down.” Larkin: “Use whatever tactics you can. He didn’t bark at least…”
  • Nye County, Nev. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “Deputy Aaron Williamson was involved in what turned out to be an epic pursuit involving a stolen car.”
  • Jefferson County, Ala. — Deputies spot possible stolen vehicle. Traffic stop at gunpoint. Turns out that it was an error in the police database; paperwork established ownership. Abrams: “So mistakes do happen, and people then get quickly released as the case is here.”
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officers respond to report of burglary at residence. Two men detained; at least one says they live there (or perhaps used to live there). Homeowner called to scene who apparently knows the men. Duo released with no charges, with agreement to return the next day to get their stuff.
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Deputies respond to motor vehicle accident; car hit deer.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “The holiday season, time for family members to come together…not so much so with these two sisters…” Officer Hill issues double trespass warning. Morris, Jr.: “I wonder how Thanksgiving went for them. Where were they?” Abrams: “They were not together. We know that because the police would be there if they were.”
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Capt. Burt and other deputies respond to verbal disturbance. A chef kicked out of building. Subject apparently had already been told not to come back. A deputy gives him a ride to where he lives.
  • Terre Haute, Ind. — Traffic stop; vehicle alleged rolled through stop sign. Drugs allegedly found.
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Traffic stop; blinker out, no tail lights. Makeshift door handle.
  • Richland County, S.C. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “Inv. Chris Mastrianni provided backup in what turned out to be a very dangerous carjacking.” Vehicle smashed into kids’ room in residence, but fortunately no injuries.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Deputies detain subject outside of hotel. Car search. Drug paraphernalia found along with adult coloring book (which cops says is a thing for drug users). Heroin allegedly found on subject. Abrams: “She says it’s not her jacket, but they’re not buying that.”
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Cops respond to report of fight at restaurant. Dispute apparently arose when one driver cut off a delivery truck or vice versa. Driver has no license. Cops tell him to call a friend with a valid license to take him and the vehicle home, otherwise vehicle will be impounded. Apparently no charges.
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Deputies respond to one-car rollover accident (roads are snowy and slick). Deputy Koppes: “This is a seat-belt-saves-lives situation.” Morris, Jr.: “I’m just wondering why the fence is intact with car on the other side.” Larkin: “It might have rolled and really went airborne over the fence.” Abrams: “I am glad we saw him first and the car second because if we had seen that car first, I would not have thought he would look that good — amazing.”
  • Nye County, Nev. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “This is a heart-wrenching call involving a house allegedly set on fire.” Abrams: “Get this: The fire marshal has no determined this was not a suspicious fire.” Morris, Jr.: “[The occupants] seemed 100 percent sure that this stalker ex had done this.”
  • Terre Haute, Ind. — Cops detain fleeing subject. Charges: Unlawful possession of syringe and resisting law enforcement.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Deputies question moped driver outside of convenience store.
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Traffic stop; expired registration, no insurance. Driver has valid license. Driver passed field sobriety eye check. Released with no charges. Capt. Burt: “As bizarre as he is acting…he is not impaired…just a bit of a character.”
  • Crime of the Week — Wenatchee, Wash.
  • East Providence, R.I. – Officer spots blown out tire on van.
  • Tulsa, Okla. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “A robbery suspect somehow ended up literally up a creek with out a paddle.”
  • Jefferson County, Ala. — Traffic stop; vehcile had stopped in the middle of the road and also ran stop sign. Driver detained. Car search. Deputies allegedly find handgun, drug paraphernalia, and crack.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — K9 alert in traffic stop. Handgun found in car.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Bicycle stop; no lights.
  • Wanted update — Suspect captured.
  • Wanted (new) — Houston, Tex.
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Traffic stop; headlight out.
  • Terre Haute, Ind. — Officers in fleeing SUV pursuit. No lights on. Vehicle apparently wrecked out. Passenger detained; driver fled on foot into wooded area. K9s deployed with officers in foot search. End of episode.

Live PD, Season 4, Episode 23, November 30, 2019

  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Officers detain subject who allegedly may have fled from domestic incident. Subject subsequently released with no charges.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Traffic stop; slow roller. Deputy Garo Brown says occupant threw something out of car window from passenger side. Deputies find two small baggies. Passenger arrested for cocaine possession; driver released with no charges. Graphic: “Your toss, your loss.”
  • Bradford County, Fla. — Deputies clear church after open door found.
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officers respond to busted window at business. Cause may have been loud music vibration, juveniles throwing rocks, or something else. Owner on way to scene. Referred for follow-up investigation.
  • East Providence, R.I. — Traffic stop; erratic driving. Driver receives speeding citation.
  • Nye County, Nev. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “A guy who may or may not have been named Timmy found himself in some deep trouble.” Traffic stop on truck; occupant arrested on several felony warrants. Morris, Jr.: “Not since Lassie have I hear of anyone named Timmy.”
  • Terre Haute, Ind. — Update on high-speed pursuit at the end of Friday night’s show. Driver wrecked out and escaped on foot, but cops have identified a suspect based on a tip from a Live PD viewer. Warrants are out for his arrest.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Officers respond to report of stolen vehicle. Driver has car in his possession and declines to press charges.
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Traffic stop on van; windshield covered with ice. Abrams: “A lover of wildlife” (reference to bumper sticker).
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Abrams: “We’ve all seen people trying to sweet talk their way out of a ticket, and then there was this guy.”
  • East Providence, R.I. — Officers respond to trespassing call. Subject denies trespassing and apparently is unwilling to go to local shelter.
  • Jefferson County, Ala. — Traffic stop; non-use of turn signal and seat belt violation. Driver allegedly tossed something out of window. May have allegedly been a small bag of weed.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop; swerving, open container. Graphic: Deers are my enemy.” Deputy Drayton thoroughly questions motorist. Abrams: “So it seems that is likely gonna end up in a field sobriety test there.” Driver arrested for open container.
  • Tulsa, Okla. (pretaped segment): Abrams: “Officers and a K9 attempted to track down a man who fled from a stolen car.”
  • East Providence, R.I. — Insp. Sroka responds to barking dog noise complaint. He asks owner to keep dog inside. Larkin: “It was a ‘Friendsgiving’; that’s kind of like a pot-luck deal. Everybody brings a little ‘pot’..luck.”
  • Richland County, S.C. (pretaped segment): Abrams: “Cpl. Walmsley tried to be blunt, but apparently the guys int he car had already beaten him to it.”
  • Wanted segment — Missoula County, Mont.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop; speeding and not maintaining lane. Motorist arrested for reckless driving. Family member to drive car home to avoid vehicle being towed.
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Traffic stop; using high beams and tail lights out. Revoked license. Driver has three misdemeanor traffic warrants. Car search. Released with warning.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Deputies approach vehicle parked in exit lane of adult video store. Car search. Gun found; driver has permit. Deputies allegedly find open container and small amount of weed. Gun was subject to confiscation under the circumstances but deputies give driver a break and release him with no charges.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Deputies leave that call to assist on a stolen motorcycle pursuit. Search apparently broken off for safety reasons. Later, deputies look for items that may have been tossed off bike. K9 deployed.
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Officers spot two individuals in back seat of car in closed park. They were allegedly getting busy. Officers issue warning to leave park.
  • East Providence, R.I. — Traffic stop; suspended license, mismatched plates. Car towed. Officer Graves gives driver a break by not issuing other tickets.
  • Terre Haute, Ind. — Officers respond to verbal dispute at residence. In-laws apparently were kicked out of home and have pitched a tent in the backyard. Graphic: “In-laws now out-laws.” Abrams: “This is the ultimate example of things getting ‘tense’ around the holidays,” No law enforcement issue.
  • Missoula County, Mont. — Capt. Burt warns driver to stop doing donuts in parking lot and go home. Abrams: “Proof there that cops do not always like donuts.” Larkin: “Even with the fresh powder.”
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officers respond to report of someone breaking into parking garage. Subject detained and faces charges.
  • Missing segment — Tucson, Ariz.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Officers respond to report of robbery at gunpoint. They search area for a vehicle allegedly containing the suspects.
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Officers respond to report of man passed out in back of taxi. He’s awake but is feeling sick. EMS called to the scene.
  • Jefferson County, Ala. — Traffic stop; driver arrested on warrant. White powder found. Passenger apparently won’t identify herself.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop; lane violation. Driver released with no charges.
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Traffic stop; truck. Abrams: “If he just had one 16-ozer, there should be no problem.” Driver tests below the legal limit on the portable breathalyzer; released with a warning. End of episode.