This Weekend’s Live PD Highlights
Here’s what you missed or may have missed on Live PD this past 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 in a given week).
With typically about 30 to 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.
According to the show’s website, “Live PD viewers get unfettered and unfiltered live access inside a variety of the country’s busiest police forces.”
Good news for its devoted fan base a.k.a. Live PD Nation: A&E has renewed Live PD with an order for 160 new episodes.
Given the need to adapt the show to social distancing protocols and other limiting factors for the coronavirus, recent episodes were two hours long.
To adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, Live PD indicated that it is operating on a “substantial delay” with officers and production crews “taking extra precautions,” including personal protective equipment, and, it seems, with more reliance on pre-taped segments. Accordingly, this includes a scaled-back operation/staff in the New York City control center.
Live PD has now nonetheless resumed its standard three-hour format.
Parenthetically, perhaps the person with the most job security is the studio technician that operates the bleep button that covers up the extreme profanity.
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.)
In an article published on March 19, the New York Times described the show as follows:
“Live PD cuts between footage of police officers around the country as they make traffic stops (suspected D.U.I.s, busted taillights), respond to calls (domestic disputes, gunshots) and go on high speed chases (on foot, by car).
“It’s all brought to the viewer live-ish. There’s a delay, in case something unusually gruesome happens.
“The mission of the Live PD is to provide ‘transparency of policing in America,’ said Elaine Frontain Bryant, the executive vice president and head of programming for A&E. “It feels like entertainment with purpose,” she said…
“The show gets by with showing some of the worst moments of people’s lives without their consent because it’s live, according to an A&E spokeswoman. ‘Live PD follows news gathering standards like any news organization — your local nightly news show or newspaper — would in covering a story,’ she wrote in an email…
“According to Nielsen data, Live PD averaged nearly 2.4 million viewers last season, which was its third…”
A Live PD recap with some of the pithiest quotes from the participants follows below.
But first, the good idea/bad idea of the week: Is it a good idea or bad idea to drive around with a meth pipe in the center console?
Live Plus Previously Recorded Incidents
Again, with usually about 40 live feeds coming into the studio, most segments broadcast on a reported five- to 20-minute tape delay.
When nothing of interest is happening in real time, pre-taped segments air, which Live PD describes as incidents that happened “earlier,” or earlier this week, last week, or a few or several weeks ago.
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 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.
Criminal charges, if any, may have been reduced, dismissed, or never filed.
When alleged criminal activities are depicted on Live PD, all suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty 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 makes their community look bad, This political pressure has in the past led to some departments terminating their contract with Live PD.
Last August, commissioners in Williamson County, Tex. terminated its Live PD contract. “Commissioners cited concerns from local prosecutors and defense attorneys over not having access to potential evidence gathered by film crews in their decision, and that the show put the county in a poor light, ” the Statesman reported.
Williamson is back on the show now, however, after Sheriff Robert Chody bypassed the commissioners court and signed a contract directly with Big Fish Entertainment. The court has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the production company, although this may have no affect on the filming. Both sides have now lawyered up.
Rules or No Rules of the Road?
Many subjects (i.e., individuals with whom cops make contact) appearing 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 someone they just met. The name of the friend can be a mystery.
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.
A variation is “I just bought the car.”
“Not my wallet” is another innovation.
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. They sometimes yell over over that “I didn’t do anything” or words to that effect.
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.
Many 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. Many of them seem to enjoy cultivating an online following.
Parenthetically, many agencies seem to have a relaxed dress code, and officers’ facial hair seems to fluctuate from week to week.
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 or when a subject gets 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. This does not include a subject’s fake honesty as discussed above.
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.
High-speed chases are common, as are slow-rollers who initially don’t pull over in a traffic stop. In the latter scenario, drivers often try to make it to their driveway or apartment complex to avoid getting their car towed. Slow-rollers can needlessly turn a routine stop into a stressful situation.
This is in addition to whatever other traffic infractions, warrants, or misdemeanors or felonies that might or might not be in play.
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. Based on how often cops find these devices, the digital scale business must be very lucrative.
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, subjects typically clutch and/or use their phones at all times no matter what, even when officers attempt to talk to 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.
State laws differ as to the requirement to carry a license, but 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 say that they have a picture of their license, registration, or other required documents on their phone rather than in its 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. This is called officer’s discretion.
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 marijuana 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 analysts Tom Morris, Jr. and Tulsa PD Sgt. Sean “Sticks” Larkin provide commentary remotely from their homes rather than from the studio at the A&E network Hq. in New York City. This week, with the same Live PD imagery superimposed in the background, they do the show from a “virtual studio.”
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 about the incidents made by cops or Live PD, or anyone on Twitter or on another social media channel for that matter, may be incorrect, and no endorsement here of the content is meant or implied.
Live PD, Season 4, Episode 64, May 15, 2020
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Cpl. Kimber Gist a couple outside motel. Woman says the bullet hole in back of car caused by ex-husband. Gist to boyfriend in the context of whether he has any drugs: “Why are you playing with me?” Subject: “I’m not playing with you; I’m being honest with you.” Gist: “You weren’t honest with me; I had to ‘beat’ it out of you.” Pat-down of both; car search. Deputies allegedly find meth pipes and meth residue. Male arrested; female released with no charges.
- West Baton Rouge, La. — Traffic stop in remote area. Car search. Abrams: “So he gets to take his long-awaited trip to the john, and it turns out his registration was not expired.” Driver released with no charges.
- Clay County, Fla. — Traffic stop for broken rear-view mirror. Deputies allegedly detect strong odor of marijuana coming from car. Deputies allegedly find heroin residue. Driver arrested on drug-related charges; also has license issues. Mom is coming to the scene to take home the driver’s two dogs.
- Richland County, S.C. — Traffic stop on aggravated assault suspect.
- Lawrence, Ind. — Officers respond to report of fight in progress on street in residential area. Cops interview witnesses, but the parties had already left. No victims at this time.
- Richland County, S.C. — Deputies respond to report of dog trapped in storm drain. Deputies Bryce Hughes and Chris Sinceno along with several citizens rescue the dog who is injured. Animal control summoned, but because of the extended ETA, deputies transport dog, possibly a golden retriever, to emergency vet. Graphic: “retriever retrieved.” Abrams: “And again a reminder…where police have to do a little bit of everything, and here with the help of some good Samaritans.” Morris, Jr.: “A great example of what people can accomplish when they work together for a common goal. Total strangers all focused on one mission to get that dog out of the drain using every bit of ingenuity they could come up with to do it.” Larking: “…day to day, these are the types of things that police, sheriff deputies, troopers are doing across the country. Makes me proud to be part of the profession.”
PART 3
— TG LivePD (@TLivepd) May 16, 2020
Includes load into @K9_DepSinceno‘s vehicle. pic.twitter.com/gXmOb5ssWN
- Crime of the Week — McCloud, Okla.
- Clay County, Fla. — Traffic stop on slow roller for reckless driver. Open container. Driver says he had “a couple of beers and a mixed drink.” Passed field sobriety test and released with stern warning to go directly home.
- Berkeley County, S.C. (pre-taped segment) — Abrams: “A driver flagged down a deputy for COVID restaurant recommendation.”
- Lawrence, Ind. — Officer Charlie Kingery responds to dispute at pizza parlor. Couple advised that they are trespassed from the restaurant.
- Richland County, S.C. — Traffic stop on suspects allegedly involved in shots fired incident. After investigation, deputies arrest the two subjects for unlawful carry of a firearm and simple possession of weed. Deputies release bystander who was temporarily detained.
- Lawrence, Ind. — Officer Kingery makes contact with man upon report of someone walking int he road. Kingery tells subject to pour out the bottle he is carrying. Kingery: “He’s pretty ‘sober’…he’s got a couple of roadies in this pocket. Nothing like some warm Rolling Rock.” Kingery runs his license and allegedly finds 12 prior public intoxication arrests. Kingery to subject: “On a scale of 9-10, how drunk are you?” Subject: “One.” Kingery: “I have a hard time believing that.” Subject, who describes himself as “a very good recycler,” released with no charges and told to stay on sidewalk and walk e without drinking on the way.” Graphics: “‘This guy is packin.’ Road soda stroll.'” Abrams: “So he walks away or maybe he’s rolling away.”
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Deputies who search for suspect who fled on foot from traffic stop. Deputies then respond to report of break-in at apartment that may have been committed by suspect. With K9 Fox, they search area. After a foot chase, they find suspect in woods and take him into custody.
- Lawrence, Ind. — Officers pursue vehicle that refused to pull over. Four or five males subsequently bail from vehicle, but driver kept going. Pursuit continues, but driver evades police. Cops then find vehicle abandoned at address of record. Update: Wallet found in vehicle. Investigation turned over to detectives.
- Clay County, Fla. — Traffic stop, swerving. Possible distracted driving. Deputies need to restrain and cuff uncooperative female and male passenger. K9 deployed. Det. Cody Jett to male: “If you act like a gentleman, we will treat you like a gentleman…if you want to act out in front of people trying to enjoy their dinner here, we’re gonna take care of business.” Car search. Female passenger released.
- West Baton Rouge, La. — Deputies make contact with several female occupants of pickup truck outside motel as well as male leaving second floor motel room. Deputies allegedly spot syringes in plain view in truck. One of the occupants allegedly admits to heroin. Vehicle search. Det. Glenn Henagan to male subject: “So, you do use narcotics?” Subject: No sir.” Hengagan: “Do you believe that? I don’t believe what you said. Do you believe you? You can star at me all night long. The answer is not in my face; it’s in your head. Do you use narcotics?” Subject: “Yes sir, recreationally, but not…” Male subject denies having drugs on his person or in the motel room. Henagan and Agent James Lewis search motel room. Henagan: “How can they have this much paraphernalia and no product. I’m not buying it. It’s here.” Male subject allegedly admits to diluting drugs with powdered sugar.
- Wanted segment — Orlando, Fla.
- Berkeley County, S.C. (pre-taped segment) — Abrams: “…things were getting, at least according to one neighbor, a little kinky.”
- Lawrence, Ind. — Traffic stop at gas station; mismatched plates. Kingery: “It’s crazy. Tonight nobody got an ID on them, nobody’s got paperwork on their car.”
- Williamson County, Tex. — Traffic stop. Subject tells female deputy that she has drugs in her bra. Car search.
- West Baton Rouge, La. — Attempted traffic stop on four-wheeler with kids on the back. Quad flees from police, and search terminated for safety reasons. Det. Henagan: “One hundred percent I will go and pull the video from the store and see who he was. And I will spend my life putting him in jail.” Henagan: “We just saw a four-wheeler with two small children on the back out on the middle of the highway. We went to make contact with him, and he gassed it. Took the cane field so he got away from us.”
End of episode ( Seven departments on 18 live segments, and two pre-taped segments excluding the Morris weekly segments).
Live PD, Season 4, Episode 65, May 16, 2020
- Tulsa, Okla. — Officer Cassie Moore responds to report of man allegedly vandalizing laundromat and scaring customers. Man is not cooperative. Moore says that he put his food in one of the dryers. Abrams: “A dryer is not a blender.” Once backup officer arrives, the subject is tased and cuffed. EMS summoned. Subject is unwilling to identify himself until he tells officers that his ID is in his right shoe. Abrams: “Well, it seems he still doesn’t want to come clean.”
- Lawrence, Ind. — Officers respond to alleged mother-daughter domestic incident at residence. Cops interview residents. One of the subjects had already left the scene. No arrests at this time, but according to Capt. Tracey Cantrell, “more than likely we’ll be back.”
- Clay County, Fla. — Officers respond to baby accidentally locked in car in store parking lot. Cops assist FD in opening door with slim jim or equivalent tool. Keys retrieved. One year old is okay.
- West Baton Rouge, La. — Traffic stop for improper display of license plate. Odor of marijuana allegedly coming from car according to deputies. Deputies allegedly spot crack or meth on seat. In search, they allegedly find meth and pills. Both driver and passenger arrested. Lt. Brett Cavaliere to subject: “I’m gonna shoot you straight. I don’t believe anything that is coming out of your moth. So you are under arrest for possession.” One of the occupants apparently also has warrants for drugs.
- Berkeley County, S.C. (pre-taped segment) — Abrams: “Cpl. Whetstone pulled over a truck with a missing brake light that turned out to be the least of the driver’s worries.”
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop possibly for failure to maintain lane. Driver denies having any drugs in vehicle.. He also tells deputies that he’s been arrested “1,000 times.” Highway Patrol detailed to the scene to conduct field sobriety testing. Driver arrested for DUI.
- Lawrence, Ind. — Officers respond to restaurant where customers are upset about incorrect takeout order and seek a refund. One of the cops attempts to mediate. Graphic: “Pickup hiccup.”
- Williamson County, Tex. — Dep. Mathew Decker and other cops follow possible stolen pickup truck on interstate. After lighting the truck up, male passenger foot bails and flees across the highway. Female driver detained at gunpoint. After a foot search, deputies find the passenger, who may have gotten stuck in the mud, and take him into custody. He apparently was wanted on a parole violation. Drugs allegedly found in vehicle on passenger side.
- Clay County, Fla. — Traffic stop; no lights, broken muffler, alleged odor of weed from vehicle. Car search. Abrams: “The ‘why not them’ defense is one we have seen often on the show.” Deputies only allegedly find a roach. Driver released, along with his passengers, with a warning for the headlight issue.
- Lawrence, Ind. — Lt. Thomas Wright participates in a mobile birthday party parade. Wright: “That was fun. I’m sure we got to make somebody’s day.” Abrams: “So just offering some kind support during tough times for it sounds like a kid whose birthday it is.”
- Pinal County, Ariz. (pre-taped segment) — Abrams: “Dep. [Frank] Sloup pulled over a driver. She was definitely going fast, and he was furious.”
- Richland County, S.C. — Owner Fran Prokop gives update on 17-year-old Maxine, the dog rescued by deputies with an assist from good Samaritans on Friday night. Unfortunately, Maxine subsequently passed on.
- Richland County, S.C. — Lt. Danny Brown and other deputies conduct car search outside of motel. Pat-down (needles found) and consensual motel room search. Brown allegedly finds more needles in room. Subject released with no charges. Brown notes that the country needs more addiction treatment facilities.
- Richland County, S.C. (pre-taped segment) — Abrams: “An investigation of a stolen truck turned out to be all about the benjamins, or in this case, the Benjamin.” Morris, Jr.: “When a grown man can’t spell his own first name for the police, that’s a dead giveaway that some thing’s seriously amiss.”
- West Baton Rouge, La. — Deputies question man accused of selling a bad batch of heroin, according to Abrams. Car search outside motel. They allegedly find needles and heroin in a bag with a female subject’s ID in it. K9 alert on vehicle. Charges include alleged possession of heroin, meth, and drug paraphernalia. Subjects will be further questioned about possible involvement in an OD incident the night before.
— FREDDIENUPE (@freddieNUPE) May 17, 2020
- West Baton Rouge, La. (pre-taped segment) — Update on fleeing quad, which was the last sequence on Friday night. A Live PD viewer identified the driver and called police, and Det. Henagan and Agent Lewis were waiting for him at his residence. Driver is arrested.
- Social Distancing Roundup (pre-taped segment) — Video clips from Clearwater, Fla., Miami Beach, Fla., Los Angeles, Cal., York, Pa., Atlanta, Ga.
- Lawrence, Ind. — Officers respond to loud music noise complaint and issue a citation to homeowner.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Deputies respond to report of someone waving a gun at residence. Male exits residence and is ordered to drop weapon. Cpl. Gist provides a summary of the investigation thus far.
- Missing segment — Los Angeles, Cal.
- Tulsa, Okla. — Officers detain two men at motel in connection with stolen motorcycle. Both deny any wrongdoing. Officer Grace Hobbs to subject: “This would be so much easier if you’d just stop lying. You’re a horrible liar.”
- West Baton Rouge, La. — Deputies make friendly contact with man from previous episode who was driving a Walmart buggy.
End of episode (Seven departments on 15 live segments, and four pre-taped segments, excluding the Morris, Jr. weekly segments and the interview).
