Season 4, Week 16, of the A&E Unscripted Hit LEO Series

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 starting at 9 p.m. Eastern time on the A&E television network (unless an additional, “bonus” episode airs.) . 

With about 40-plus cameras, Live PD producers and videographers embed in real time with officers and deputies on patrol from eight or nine 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 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 or a bad idea to loiter under a no-loitering sign?

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.

Note: Embedded tweets do not in any way equal or imply endorsement of their content.

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.’”

As this blog has previously reported, local politicians and activist groups have complained that the show puts their community in a exploitative, false light. This political pressure has in the past led to some departments terminating their contract with Live PD. Currently, several city councilors in Tulsa aren’t fans, although others say it improves community relations and recruitment.

According to the Tulsa World, “A Tulsa police officer at the police station monitors the live video footage as it is being filmed and can disallow footage in real time if deemed appropriate. TPD can disallow footage for several reasons, including safety concerns and to ensure that undercover officers and confidential investigative tactics are not made public.” The Tulsa World itself has separately editorialized against Live PD.

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, particularly if the driver appears tipsy.

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 (with a camera crew) 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.

Suspects in custody can sometimes go from combative and brazen to remorseful to tearful in a matter of minutes.

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.” Subjects often address cops as “bro” or “dude.” 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 a subject 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. Or it’s in the car rather than in their wallet.

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, along with some of the best quotes.

Host Dan “Let’s get in a break” 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.

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, and no endorsement here is meant or implied.

Live PD, Season 4, Episode 40, January 31, 2020

  • Pomona, Cal. — Officers respond to report of woman allegedly threatening another woman with a knife. Cops question both parties. No knife found. They take a report. Abrams (with reference to the Pink Floyd fan): “This certainly seems to be the dark side of the moon.”
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Traffic stop at gunpoint. Stolen license plaint. Gun in car. Meth allegedly found after car search.
  • Bradford County, Fla. — Resident complains that neighbor drove truck through yard and other supposedly suspicious behavior. Graphic: “What the well is on going on here.” Deputies attempt to make contact with neighbor.
  • Pomona, Cal. — Attempted traffic stop for speeding, not stopping at stop sign. Occupants foot-bailed after pursuit. Both taken int custody. Cops search residential area for possible tossed gun. Abrams: “they are literally fishing for a gun in that pool…when they find it, I think it will be qualified as a water gun.” Gun found in neighboring yard; a DNA swab may indicate who had it.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Officers respond to report of man with knife at gas station. Subject is lying on ground. No knife found. He claims he was assaulted by someone else. Cops will check store surveillance video. In the meantime, he is trespassed from store. Subject is transported to hospital; no charges.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Officers respond to report of drive-by shooting at apartment complex. Three shell casings found in parking lot. Blood trail found. Officers and K9 conduct foot search for victim. Larkin: “Sometimes you get a victim that just takes off running, and they actually end up collapsing somewhere out of sight…unfortunately, there’s been instances we don’t actually find the victim until the next day laying out there. And other times the person possibly involved in the shooting, although they’re the victim, might be involved in criminal activity, and so they don’t want to got to the hospital because they’re going to have to deal with the police, so they try to self treat or even leave that another to another town to try to seek medical treatment.” Morris, Jr.: “It’s rare, but sometimes a fingerprint can be found and lifted from a shell casing.” Victim is later located at hospital.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Deputies respond to roommate dispute. Not a law enforcement issue because the landlord apparently allows both to live there. Deputy: “Grown adults gotta act like grown adults.” Abrams: “I’m not sure if they’re actually roommates if one person is living in a tent in the back, and the other person is living in the house. But they certainly have to live together in a particular property.” Morris, Jr.: “The winter must be mild down there…”
  • Tulsa, Okla. (pretaped segment): “Officers with some help from eyes in the sky attempted to track down a stolen car.”
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Officers respond to pickup truck blocking the road outside house. Homeowner, who is aware of the problem generally (but not at that time) told to move car onto driveway; truck has issues with emergency brake. Abrams: “I seems that there may have been a problem with the brake — we gotta take a break…”
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Man tells deputies that his ex violated a restraining order; has bruising on his arm.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Deputies respond to loitering complaint. Larkin: “She didn’t take notice of the [no-loitering] sign. The police took notice to her.”
  • Richland County, S.C. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “A man found himself in the dark, literally, after a dispute with his landlord.” Abrams: “I’m not sure I’d want Roy as my landlord.” Morris, Jr.: “I’d betcha Roy can rub the brown off a penny; he didn’t want to spend a dime to go to court or anything else. I’d want to move if I was that guy — as quick as possible.”
  • Terre Haute, Ind. — Officers respond to noise complaint and also ask residents to extinguish fire in yard and redirect bright outside light.
  • Pomona, Cal. — Officers respond to report that someone at an apartment complex was threatening people. It turns out it was someone knocking on doors; subject asked to leave.
  • Nye County, Nev. — Traffic stop; vehicle slow to pull over. Foreign tourists; released with warning. Abrams: “We’ve been encountering quite a few tourists in Nye County; guess many of them are heading to Vegas, hoping to get lucky.”
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Officer Justin Hill responds to report of someone acting strangely at apartment complex. Hill makes contact; subject says he’s okay. Hill: “He looked perfectly fine to me; no reason to think anything else other than that.”
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Officers make traffic stop on smoking car. Graphic: “This is exhausting.” Abrams: “I’m no mechanic, but I’d like to know how much oil they put in and where was that oil put…we’ve seen a lot of smoking on this show — this is a first.” Vehicle may have blown gasket. Cops suggest occupants call someone to drive them home.
  • Nye County, Nev. — Lt. James McRae makes traffic stop on pickup truck with illegal white underglow. Just as he releases driver with warning, McRae spots a two-car accident down the street. Ambulance and fire department summoned to the scene. Abrams: “So the good news is that everyone is okay; almost witnessed what happened there…but obviously an emotional moment when you get involved in that kind of incident.”
  • Bradford County, Fla. — Deputies make traffic stop on truck that was allegedly swerving in and out of a ditch. Driver admits to “three beers,” but apparently declines field sobriety testing. Deputies arrest him for driving while suspended.
  • Pomona, Cal. — Closeup on K9 Jax.
  • Missing segment — Miami, Fla.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Officers attempt to serve warrant on subject at residence for aggravated assault.
  • Terre Haute, Ind. — Officer Pete Frederick makes contact with man inside pickup truck who reportedly was passed out. Vomit noticeable on truck door and on ground. Frederick: “What happened here? Something not agree?” He asks driver to call someone to drive him home.
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Traffic stop; previous report from another motorist for reckless driving. Non-use of turn signal gave officers probable cause to make traffic stop. Capt. Tracey Cantrell questions driver.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “Deputy Longiliere pulled over a man whose pet answered to just one crappy name.”
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Vehicle pursuit on possible stolen truck. Foot pursuit with K9 Agis, who seemed to disappear in the woods. Suspect may still be at large.
  • Pomona, Cal. — Officers respond to serious rollover accident that requires extraction of female driver by the fire department. The other vehicle involved was parked. Woman is okay.
  • Wanted update (Glendale, Ariz.) and new Wanted segment (Houston, Tex.)
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Officers respond to 911 hangup at residence. Apparently a dispute between two cousins. Cops make contact with both. End of episode.

Live PD, Season 4, Episode 41, February 1, 2020

As way to develop rapport with subjects on Saturday night, officers engage in a lot of small talk and banter about the Super Bowl.

  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officers respond to report of two shirtless men fighting. EMS summoned. Officer Darrell Ross to subject: “You know, you don’t sound good, right?…I would really rather not lock you up. I want you to get checked out by medical professionals, but if I have to arrest you for being drunk in public, then take you to a hospital to get you cleared, I’ll do that because I’m worried about your health, man. You’ve been hit in the head.”
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Hotel management requests officers remove a couple from room. They are issued trespass warning. Officer Charlie Kingery to male subject: “I’m not gonna shoot your dog…I’d also like you to maybe put some pants on.” Graphic: “Still shirtless.” Kingery: “You don’t use narcotics? I have a hard time believing that.” Officers stand by while couple pack up their belongings. It turns out female has a warrant. Abrams: “So obviously multiple things going on here. He has to get out of the hotel. She’s now being arrested in connection — it sounds like. she says, with child support.”
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Officers respond to domestic dispute allegedly between man and his baby mama. The latter had already left by the time cops arrived. No law enforcement issue. Officer Justin Hill advises man to take baby mama to court to sort out the visitation dispute.

Officer Hill summarizes the baby mama drama:

  • Terre Haute, Ind. — Officers respond to noise complaint at residence (possibly the same location as Friday night).
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Cpl. Steve Zubkoff makes contact with driver in hotel parking lot where the chit-chat about the Sunday’s big NFL game. Abrams: “Is this a Super Bowl preview show or is it a show about live policing?”
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop; car search. Meth pipe allegedly found. Two female occupants are holding dogs wrapped in blankets. Graphic: “Chilly dogs.” Female deputy called to scene for pat-down. Both occupants subsequently released with no charges.
  • Pomona, Cal. — Officers attempt to make traffic stop for infractions. Passenger foot bails. Driver is slow roller, finally comes to a stop where he is detained at gunpoint. Driver arrested for felony evading.

Officers Alex Nguyen and Frank Wilson provide updates:

  • Tulsa, Okla. — Traffic stop at gunpoint; possible stolen vehicle. Driver and three passengers detained. One of the passengers exits vehicle by climbing out back window. Morris, Jr.: “He nailed the landing, though. I give him a perfect 10 for the landing.” Officer Joshua Hyman to subjects after searching vehicle: “A little bit of crappy weed. That ain’t no good weed, man. The good stuff smells more herbaceous. It’s not as, like, dirty, you know. That’s a big word…” Graphic: “Brass knuckles and marijuana found.” Abrams: “So they’re still trying to figure out how they got that vehicle, because the vehicle had been reported stolen. It sounds like they’re saying they paid cash for it at a casino.” Driver arrested for illegal possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of an illegal weapon. Passengers released with no charges.
  • Terre Haute, Ind. — Officers search wooded area for injured deer after report that car struck a deer.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Officers responds to dispute between cabbie and passenger. Abrams: “So clearly what he’s saying that after a dispute over a fare, she took his cab — obviously got it back there.” Cab driver declines to press charges.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “You’ve heard the expression ‘the buck stops here.’ Well for a guy earlier in Berkeley County, the ‘here’ was his front porch and the buck was no longer alive.”
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Officers respond to respond to call involving some kind of domestic issue at residence possibly in connection with a birthday present.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Deputies respond to report of shots fired. They detain a driver during investigation; full cartridges allegedly found in car search. Driver subsequently released with no charges.
  • Crime of the Week — Pasco County, Fla.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop; pat down. During interaction, Cpl. Zubkoff chats with driver about movie he just saw. Abrams: “Thank goodness we didn’t get any spoilers there for Bad Boys 3 because that would have been really troubling.”
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officers respond to report of alleged attempted burglary of truck; subject found passed out in truck outside residence.
  • Pomona, Cal. — Officers respond to alleged drive-by shooting and related car accident with two victims. Shell casings found. Officer Nguyen provides an update:
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Attempted traffic stop for defective equipment and improper license plate. Slow roller; finally stops in front of home. Cpl. Zubkoff: “He’s actually a frequent flyer…he’s a sovereign citizen.” Abrams: “That’s not a temporary tag; that’s just an ad really for the place where he may or may not have bought the vehicle with a date on it.”
  • Terre Haute, Ind. –Traffic stop; broken tail light. Officer Anthony Mazzon to passenger: “It’s your birthday? Happy birthday. Have you ever been pulled over before? Well, here you go. You’re not even driving. This doesn’t count.”
  • Tallahassee, Fla. (pretaped segment) — Abrams; “While muffins can be a delicious breakfast treat, in Tallahassee earlier, we learned they cna also serve another purpose.”
  • Nye County, Nev. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “A pair of disgruntled neighbors seemed to have trouble seeing eye to eye.”
  • Wanted segment — Austin, Tex.
  • Nye County, Nev. — Deputies respond to residence and take “irate” man into custody. Sgt. Cory Fowles to subject: “If you call 911, and you tell the 911 operator you’re gonna be dead by morning, the police are gonna come to your house…you’re gonna go to the hospital for a mental evaluation.”

Sgt. Fowles provides this summary:

  • Lawrence, Ind. — Traffic stop. K9 deployed. Car search. Officers chat with two occupants about the big game. Abrams: “The Live PD Super Bowl preview show continues here in Lawrence, Indiana, as in elsewhere.” Subjects released with no charges; package of detox tea was detox tea.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop on truck; speeding. Driver claims he lost his license. May have allegedly been smoking weed. Driver receives citation for invalid license; someone called to scene to pick up car.
  • Pomona, Cal. — Woman flags down officer to report that someone bashed in her back window. Security cameras outside store unfortunately don’t clearly pick up activity in parking lot. Officer Shreef Erfan makes safety recommendations. Abrams: “Very unfortunate…looks like she’s gonna just try to get home, clean that up a little first.”
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officers respond to report of teens doing drugs in convenience store parking lot. Officer Darrell Ross gives teen a no-loitering warning. Ross: “Whoever has the weed should leave before I get curious…and I can smell the weed…it’s the devil’s lettuce. It’s delicious. I smell it all over the place, but you guys gotta bounce…”
  • Pomona, Cal. — Traffic stop on parolee; car search search. Officers (again) discuss Super Bowl with subject. Abrams: “And yet another reference to Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback who said he was gonna be watching Live PD tonight. If he is, you’re getting a lot of shout-outs out there.”
  • Nye County, Nev. — Lt. Eric Murphy responds to multiple 911 hangup calls at residence. Apparently was kids playing; no law enforcement issue.
  • Pomona, Cal. — Officers respond to report of stabbing and interact with woman on sidewalk. Officer Erfan says there are two version of events, and that the woman has a superficial cut that is “more in line with a fall than a stab.” Investigation continues.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. (pretaped segment) — Abrams: “A scary reminder that when you’re crossing the street, anything can happen.” According to Abrams, cops cited the driver with failure to yield and that the pedestrian is recovering with non-life-threatening injuries.
  • Tallahassee, Fla. — Traffic stop. Car search. Officer Jamey Martinez: “You’re like the clown car of weed, Man. It just keeps coming out and coming out and coming out.”
  • Bradford County, Fla. — Traffic stop for high beams. Deputy Jacob Swaggerty: “I’ll be damned if that’s not my aunt.” Graphic: “Unfortunate family reunion.”
  • Nye County, Nev. — Lt. Murphy makes traffic stop on three-wheeler. Turn signal issue. Driver will be released with warning as long as his record checks out clear. End of episode.

Note: Terre Haute PD is leaving the show, at least temporarily.