Season 4, Week 13, of the A&E Unscripted Hit LEO Series
Here’s what you missed on Live PD this week/weekend which included a bonus wraparound, two-hour episode on Wednesday night, January 8, as part of the incessant promotion for the spin-off America’s Top Dog.
Live PD is the ratings-winning, three-hour law enforcement ride-along show that ordinarily airs fresh episodes on Friday and Saturday evenings starting at 9 p.m. Eastern time on the A&E television network.
Live PD producers and videographers usually embed in real time with officers and deputies on patrol from eight different U.S. police departments and sheriff’s offices. Currently the show is featuring nine departments covered by about 40 cameras.
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 with some the pithiest quotes from the participants follows below.
But first, the good idea/bad idea of the week: Is it a good idea to carry a handgun on your person without a concealed carry permit?
Live Plus Previously Recorded Incidents
With usually 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 @LivePDMusings 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. That’s why cops often begin an interaction by asking if there is anything illegal in the car.
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.
The first thing that officers usually say to a suspect in an adversarial encounter is “let me see your hands.”
Two Beers, Not My Pants, and Other Mantras
“I only had two beers” is a familiar motorist mantra when pulled over and asked about having 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” or it’s “not my car.”
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.
Parenthetically, males and female drug users often tend to conceal their stash in their private parts, making for some awkward if not disgusting pat-downs.
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 television media or politics after they retire from full-time law enforcement.
The Lingo
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.”
They also try to reassure detainees that handcuffs come off as fast as they go on if a subject is cleared.
In a pat-down, because of the prevalence of needles used by drug abusers, for their own safety, cops always ask if the subject has “anything in your pockets that’s going to cut, stab, or poke me?”
When asking about drugs or other contraband, an officer often advises that “honesty goes along way” in the context of possible reduced (or no) charges.
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 typically clutch and/or use their phones at all times no matter what, even officers are trying to talk with them or or even when they’re 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 Week and Weekend on Live PD
If you’re wondering what happened on Live PD this past week, a recap/summary of Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night’s Live PD editions follows, along with some of the best quotes.
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 or observations made by cops or Live PD, or anyone on Twitter for that matter, may be incorrect.
Live PD, Season 4, Episode 30, January 8, 2020
- Richland County, S.C. — Deputies spot stolen car; traffic stop at gunpoint after vehicle briefly tried to flee. Grandma, the car ownder, won’t press charges against grandson. Cpl. Gavin Walmsley admonishes grandson to change his ways.
- Tallahassee, Fla. — Officer Justin Hill responds to roommate dispute at apartment complex involving woman who apparently is being kicked out of apartment. Abrams: “She could be an auctioneer the way that she rattles off all those words.” Hill describes the dispute as a “toxic situation.” As a legal matter, the other roommates who put out the woman’s stuff would have to go to court to evict the other roommate, but she agrees to leave voluntary. Hill: “…you’re dealing with college students. They’re not bad people you know; they just got a lot going on.”
- Tulsa, Okla. — Officers respond to possible break-in at abandoned house. Broken window found. Dispatch attempts to contact a keyholder, otherwise there is technically no crime victim. Officer Darrell Ross: “And yes, someone is inside smoking weed right now.”
- Tulsa, Okla. — Update from final sequence last Saturday evening, January 4. Officers launch pepper balls into motel room and attempted murder suspect comes out and surrenders.
- Lawrence, Ind. — Traffic stop; speeding. Abrams: “Sometimes you want to test the engine by trying to outrun the police. Officer Charlie Kingery to driver: “Man, you’ve got a hell of a driving record, and you’re gonna take off like that next to the three cops.” Driver released with warning. Abrams: “So he gets a break tonight. Just hope he doesn’t peel out here.”
- Pomona, Cal. — Police raid an illegal marijuana dispensary. Several subjects detained. Cops search location and allegedly find and confiscate 60 pounds of marijuana and about $250,000 cash. FD opens large safe with blowtorch, but it was empty.
- Tallahassee, Fla. — Family member calls 911 about another family member who supposedly smoked some bad weed. Cops search for fleeing vehicle that might be involved. Vehicle found abandoned, but still running. Cell phone spotting on ground.
- Crime of the Week — Las Vegas, Nev.
Live PD, Season 4, Episode 31, January 8, 2020
America’s Top Dog winners Officer Dave Cochran of the Fargo, N.D., PD and K9 Falco join the in-studio trio.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop; tail light out. Deputy Neil McSwain issues simple possession of marijuana ticket.
- Tallahassee, Fla. (pretaped segment): Abrams: “A driver got into a bit of trouble after police discovered a ‘crack’ in the upholstery.”
- Nye County, Nev. — Lt. Eric Murphy and FD respond to car fire.
- Berkeley County, S.C. – Traffic stop. K9 alert. Driver arrested for meth possession.
- Wanted segment — Lawrence, Ind.
- Lawrence, Ind. — Officers pursue van; two subjects detained.
- Terre Haute, Ind. — Traffic stop; K9 alert. Car search. Meth allegedly found under seat.
- Pomona, Cal. — Officers conduct probation search. Ammo and holster initially found. Subject denies having a gun. Officers subsequently find handgun in home.
- Missoula County, Mont. — Capt. Bill Burt reponds to bank alarm but it was just an accidental alert.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Deputies question motorist parked outside business after hours. Odor of weed allegedly detected. End of episode.
Live PD, Season 4, Episode 32, January 10, 2020
- Pomona, Cal. — Cops detain man on bicycle who is on probation. Cops search immediate area for any possible discarded items. Subject has no warrants and is regularly checking in with probation officer. Cops release him with warning that he must stop when approached by police rather than running. Abrams: “Remember, when you are on probation, there are specific rules you have to abide by, which are more than just for ordinary citizens.”
- Terre Haute, Ind. — Neighbor claims another neighbor is allegedly cooking meth. The latter voluntarily lets cops in to look around. Graphic: Who let the dogs in?” Abrams: So far, no meth lab there. What an odd thing that would be to falsely accuse someone if that’s what it turns out to be.” Cops find nothing. Abrams: “so it turns out there it was just ‘Barking Bad’ and that’s it.”
- Tallahassee, Fla. — Woman arrested on outstanding warrant.
- Lawrence, Ind. — Traffic stop; passenger ran. Driver detained at gunpoint. Officer Charlie Kingery to driver: “Let me explain something to you, Man. Ninety-nine point nine percent of the times when we pull somebody over and somebody takes off running from the car, everyone else in the car doesn’t know who it it is. Do you really think that I believe that some random dude jumps into your car, and you give him a ride?” Car search allegedly reveals drugs. Driver arrested on drug charges. Cops search for the passenger, but he apparently is still at large.
- Terre Haute, Ind. — Traffic stop on truck; erratic driving. Vehicle pursuit. Driver and passenger detained. Driver has suspended license and also has warrant. Truck search: marijuana, meth, and drug paraphernalia allegedly found. Abrams: “And if the woman is telling the truth that he wouldn’t stop, she had nothing to do with it, she may be released.” Driver arrested on various charges; passenger apparently released.
- Berkeley County, Fla. — Officers respond to report of a grave robber. Graphic: “Tomb raiding in progress?” It turns out subject is digging a grave for a funeral home; no law enforcement issue. Graphic: “Final nail in coffin.” Graphic: “Really graves situation.” Graphic: “Can you dig it!” Abrams: “This is the ultimate graveyard shift , and he’s making no bones about it. This is what he’s there to do.”
- Pomona, Cal. — Traffic stop on vehicle slow to pull over. Occupants detained. drugs allegedly found. BB gun in door.
- Tulsa, Okla. — Officers respond to shots fired report. They a pedestrian and conduct a pat-down and bag search. Abrams: “Well, he’s got a holster there. The question is was there a weapon. He says there wasn’t.” Officers separately examine vehicle at gas station with blown-out back window and speak with motorist. No evidence of a shooting on security video. Abrams: “So it looks like they’re gonna be leaving the scene because they do not think now that that was actually a shot fired.” Pedestrian is not a suspect in the incident.
- Missoula County, Mont. — Capt. Bill Burt pulls over truck for erratic driving. Driver says he had “three drinks.” Field sobriety test.
- Pomona, Cal. — Officers assist FD with vehicle fire. Firefighters need to use chainsaw to lift hood to further extinguish flames.
- Richland County, S.C. — Deputies search area for suspects after report of an armed robbery at a gas station.
- Tulsa, Okla. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “What started as an armed robbery call for Officer Ross took a very dramatic turn.”
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop. Deputy claims truck smells like weed. Driver admits to carrying gun but does not have a concealed weapons permit. Weed stash allegedly found in vehicle search.
- Terre Haute, Ind. — Sgt. Justin Sears responds to call that an aggressive dog refuses to get out of car. A storm apparently scared the canine. Sears gives him treats to coax him out, but the dog still won’t exit. Animal control summoned; dog is taken to shelter overnight for safety reasons. Abrams: “Here’s the good news. Sgt. Sears is a K9 officer. And it is clear he both cares about that dog and understands what’s going on.”
- Tulsa, Okla. (pretaped segment) — “A woman who had allegedly been breaking in to homes gave Eric, our ‘beep man,’ quite the workout.”
- Nye County, Nev. — Lt. Eric Murphy (no relation to the beep man) responds to a rental car that hit a curb. Airbag deployed. Driver says he’s okay, but Murphy summons EMS to the scene to make sure.
- Crime of the Week — Florida.
- Pomona, Cal. — Traffic stop, mismatched plates. Syringes found in car search. Officer Shreef Erfan: “So usually when there’s needles and spoons and foil, we end up finding some heroin.” Abrams: “What makes this significant is that, again, there was a child in that car.” Heroin balloons allegedly found; driver arrested.
- Tulsa, Okla. (pretaped segment): Abrams: “It was all hands on deck trying to track down a driver who fled after a traffic stop.”
- Terre Haute, Ind. — Traffic stop for littering. Driver picks up trash and is released with a warning.” Abrams: “Lesson learned, I think, there.”
- Richland County, S.C. — Deputies respond to disturbance at motel. Verbal argument between man and woman. Man appeared verbally antagonistic with cops. Woman says she’s okay; no law enforcement issue.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop. Deputy Austin Longieliere to driver: “Honesty goes a long way with me, Okay? That’s the difference between somebody going to jail and somebody going home. We on the same page?”
- Wanted segment — Broward County, Fla.
- Missoula County, Mont. — Traffic stop; no license, no insurance. Abrams: “So they just need someone with a valid license to come and get that car, take care of it, on that cold night there in Montana.”
- Tallahassee, Fla. — Traffic stop; age-16 driver who only had a permit. Ticket issued. Dad called to the scene. Officer Justin Hill: “You need a whippin,’ son…a good, solid whippin.’ Teens and Hill discuss the Trump/Iran situation. Abrams: “The only Iran talk we usually get on this show is people trying to get away from the police.”
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop; swerving, Driver denies smoking weed. Pat-down. Deputy Longieliere to driver: “This can go one or two ways, Man. You can either be cooperative, or we can go the other route.We got a jail right here for everybody.” Camera operator focuses on package of condoms. Abrams: “I didn’t know we’d be getting a Teddy Roosevelt reference today with the Rough Riders.” Larkin: I thought the Rough Riders go with DMX.”
- Utah Highway Patrol — Tribute to deceased K9 Duke.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Deputies respond to report of alleged peeping tom. Man spotted in bushes; says he had “one beer tonight.” Cpl. Kathryn Whetstone interviews female complainant.
- Pomona, Cal. — Bicycle stop; no lights. End of episode.
Live PD, Season 4, Episode 33, January 11, 2020
Abrams: “It has been a head-spinning night here with lots of activity in different departments.”
- Lawrence, Ind. — Officers respond to shots fired report at restaurant. Two employees shot in the lower leg. According to witness, it was not an armed robbery; instead, suspects opened fire after entering back door. Tourniquets applied to legs of victim prior to EMS arrival. Officer Stuart Bishop finds shell casings behind restaurant. Officer Matt Hickey and other cops search nearby apartment complex for three suspects. EMS indicates that the victims are in fair condition, and injuries are not life threatening. Detectives called to restaurant to continue investigation. Abrams: “So that is obviously very good news that the two victims will, it seems, be okay.”
- Tusla, Okla. — Officers respond to report of shots fired at apartment complex. Officer Joshua Hyman: “As you can see there is a sea of flashing lights, so that usually means something bad’s going on.” Chaotic situation with residents milling around.
- Terre Haute, Ind. — Officers respond to report that a subject took too much time in gas station bathroom. Subject had already left by the time cops arrived, bu they check area for him.
- Tallahassee, Fla. — Officers stake out restaurant for man who has a warrant. They arrest him at restaurant table. Abrams: “This is someone who was called an absconded sex offender, which was in almost all likelihood a failure to register as a sex offender, and so, as a result, became wanted, and this is the suspect.” Abrams: “Sounds like he’s claiming that he was preparing to come in to register.”
- Tulsa, Okla. — Cops respond to domestic incident between mom and son. The latter claims he has cell phone video of mom assaulting him. Officers advise him to move out. Subsequent update: no one is pressing charges, and son is staying put for now.
- Pomona, Cal. — Officers respond to report of woman refusing to leave McDonald’s. Abrams: “Unclear exactly what her beef was there.” Woman released with no charges.
- Richland County, S.C. — Traffic stop at gunpoint in apartment complex for reckless driving. Car search; edibles allegedly found.
- Missoula County, Mont. — Capt. Bill Burt responds to accident on highway involving pickup truck and at least one other vehicle which has substantial front-end damage. Trooper uses his vehicle to move truck out of the road so that police can reopen road. Abrams: “That is some nasty weather and a nasty accident there.”
- Pomona, Cal. — Traffic stop; no headlights. During stop, pedestrian approaches and interferes with traffic stop. Driver released with warning. Officer Shreef Erfan pats down pedestrian; he and other officers get into brief scuffle with him. Subject arrested for public intoxication. Abrams: “He may be intoxicated, but he has one of the finest mustaches we’ve ever seen on this show.” Morris, Jr.: “It was pretty special.”
- Missoula County, Mont. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “Some folks living out of their RV found themselves in a ‘pile’ of trouble.”
- Tulsa, Okla. — Domestic incident. Man allegedly beats up girlfriend and then returned to the apartment. Cops detain subject.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Deputies respond to report of man assaulted with crowbar at Burger King. Victim is on floor in severe pain with injuries to arm and leg. EMS summoned; victim transported to hospital. According to a witness, the physical encounter occurred in the Burger King parking lot, and the dispute was over cigarettes. Deputies search area for suspect.
- Richland County, S.C. — Deputies pursue vehicle that wont’ pull over. Four occupants bailed. One subject detained after foot pursuit. Three others still at at large. Deputies search area for them. Abrams: “They’re continued to search for those three other people. The guy who was captured, not helping them with any information.”
- Lawrence, Ind. — Officers respond to report of aggressive stray dog in apartment. Graphic: “Searching for snacks.” Dog seems more scared than aggressive. Animal control takes dog for the night, pending finding owner. Abrams: “Well, if this is your dog, please call the Lawrence Police Department.”
- Richland County, S.C. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “Deputy Mulcahy happened to be at the right place at the right time.” (Heimlich maneuver on woman who was choking on a pickle)
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop on slow roller who ran red light.
- Wanted segment — Gwinnett County, Ga.
- Tulsa, Okla. — Traffic stop; no license, stolen license plate. Turns out the car was listed as stolen. Driver charged with possession of a stolen vehicle.
- Berkeley County, S.C. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “At a safety checkpoint…deputies discovered a very suspicious ‘package.'”
- Berkeley County, S.C. — High-speed pursuit turned into a foot pursuit. Deputies set up perimeter and deploy K9s to search wooded area for subjects.
- Terre Haute, Ind. — Traffic stop; driver bailed. K9 deployed and foot pursuit in residential area. Officers go to home where dog alerted and detain subject.
- Pomona, Cal. — Officers converge to serve search warrant on house. During search, they find handgun. Officer to someone outside: “Do you have incarceritis or what?”
- Lawrence, Ind. — Traffic stop at gunpoint on van.; no brake lights, no headlights, refusal to stop. Driver not complying with commands. Officer Hickey: “What the hell is up with this guy.” Abrams: “So there is is a question whether there is a language barrier and a question whether there may have been alcohol involved.” Hickey questions driver who apparently has no license. Hickey admonishes driver for putting other motorists at risk: “So put your big boy pants on and take responsibility.” Driver is released, but van will be towed. Abrams: “So you see there the cuffs coming off. Obviously they do not suspect he was driving under the influence. It just becomes a question of understanding exactly what was going on when the flashing lights were behind him.”
- Missing update — Hondo, Tex.
- Missing segment — Rexburg, Ida.
- Pomona, Cal. — Abrams: “We’ve seen a lot of canines tonight, but we have not seen any rabbits. Obviously this is a ‘hare-raising’ situation that [Officer Erfan] seems to be dealing with” End of episode.
As part of the endless America’s Top Dog promotion, A&E will air another bonus Live PD episode on Wednesday, January 15.
