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 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. Presumably there is or was accordingly a scaled-back operation in the New York City control center.

The reduced airtime is apparently coming to an end, and Saturday’s episode resumed the three-hour format. Moving forward, each Live PD edition will again be three hours in length.

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: At a traffic stop, is it a good idea or a bad idea to give the officer a prison ID instead of a driver’s license?

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, pretaped 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.” someone they just met, 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.

Dan in Florida tweet Live PD

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.

“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.

Gotsump Tweet

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.

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.

An officer’s discretion also can play a role in more serious charges or potential charges.

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 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.

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 62, May 8, 2020

The seven law enforcement departments featured in real time on Friday and Saturday nights are located in West Baton Rouge, La. , Berkeley County, S.C., Tulsa, Okla., Richland County, S.C. , Williamson County, Tex., Lawrence, Ind, and Clay County, Fla. Lawrence did not appear in any sequences during Friday’s show.

  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Deputies respond to report of disturbance at gas station. Deputies question female and male car occupants. Deputy Kathryn Whetstone says male was “acting strange, acting irate” according to store clerk. Male denies. Deputies allegedly find needle in trash in store. Car is clean. Male arrested for public intoxication. Whetstone: “There’s nothing about your behavior that’s normal.” Female released with no charges. Larkin: “Obviously, sometimes we are wrong, and as he mentioned, he’ll be entitled to have an attorney and challenge this in court.”
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Abrams: Officers respond to report of a “person who is [allegedly] high and apparently doing some blowing…of leaves” outside closed business. Officers detain and question subject. Leafblower is not working for the store (“volunteer leafblower” per Abrams). Officer Grace Hobbs to subject: “You’er really tempting fate for going to jail.” Other officer: “I got a feeling it’s gonna happen before the night’s over.” Officer tell man to leave property; no charges.
  • West Baton Rouge, La. — Deputies respond to single-vehicle accident. Car partially in water in ditch. Tow truck already en route. Graphic: “Gone fishin.'”
  • Richland County, S.C. — Traffic stop; moving violation and window tint violation. Driver tells Lt. Danny Brown that she was returning from Family Dollar after purchasing “some poop laxatives.” Brown notices “strong pungent odor” coming from car. Driver released with warning. Abrams: “Some pungent odors, some poop medication, but most importantly, we got to see Gus [the dog].”
  • Crime of the Week — Greenfield, Wisc.
  • Richland County, S.C. (pre-taped segment): Abrams: “It involved a samauri sword, a doomsday heist, and the atom bomb.”
  • Richland County, S.C. — Deputies investigate incident in which a woman allegedly stabbed another woman with a fork. Deputies question victims on side of the road. Female suspect a large. Warrant likely issued.
  • Wanted segment — Seattle, Wash.
  • Williamson County, Tex. — Traffic stop; K9 alert. Car search. Deputy: “We always find sex toys.”
  • Pinal County, Ariz. (pre-taped segment): “It turns out a couple of guys were left holding the bag.”
  • Richland County, S.C. (pre-taped segment): Abrams: “A shots fired call led to a pursuit involving a trio of suspects.”
  • West Baton Rouge, La. — Traffic stop. Det. Glenn Hanegan: “Got weed in plain view in a baggie.” Abrams: “Remember, this is the crime suppression unit; that’s why they’re dressed in plain clothes there.” Car search; pat-down. Agent James Lewis questions driver. She is charged with possession and will turn herself in at a later date (owing to coronavirus, West Baton Rouge is only taking violent suspects to jail).
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Cpl. Daniel Lambert approaches parked truck. Driver refuses to get out of the vehicle. He is pulled out and appears to pass out on the ground. EMS summoned. Narcan administered. Driver is transported to hospital.
  • Clay County, Fla. — Traffic stop for failure to maintain lane (and allegedly almost hitting a patrol car). Lt. Scott Moreland to driver: “You touch that gun, I’m gonna kill you. You understand.” Gun turns out to be a BB gun. Moreland: “You carry what you call a BB gun, and we have no clue what it is, and then your stupid eoung to put your hand right down on it. Man. Seriously!?” Marijuana allegedly found in car. Abrams: “A disaster averted there.” Driver given stern verbal warnings and a notice to appear.
  • Washington, D.C. — Abrams interviews D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham about COVID-19 challenges for law enforcement.
  • West Baton Rouge, La. — Traffic stop for speeding and crossing center lane; slow roller. Lt. Brett Cavaliere and/or Agent Allen Connolly allegedly spots weed on driver’s lap. Driver allegedly admits to having weed. Car search. Weapon found.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop. Cpl. Whetstone to driver: “Every car I stop tonight, everybody’s moving. Are they giving away houses at this point or something?” Friend comes to the scene to pick up driver’s dog. Whetstone: “Puppy has stage fright, huh?”

End of episode [11 live sequences plus one interview and three pre-taped segments apart from the weekly Crime of the Week and the Wanted clips].

Live PD, Season 4, Episode 63, May 9, 2020

  • Lawrence, Ind. — Officers respond to report of a fight in progress among a large group at an apartment complex. Witnesses provide officers with information on what happened. Seems to be a dispute between the family’s of a boyfriend and girlfriend or something along those lines. Abrams: “Seems the first step here for Officer [Stuart] Bishop is figuring out who everyone is on that scene as he continues to ask questions.” Suspects had left before cops arrived, but they will look in immediate area for them.
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officers respond to report of possibly vehicular assault. Woman who is laying down on road says she was hit by a car driver by a female. EMS summoned. Suspect left scene before cops arrived. Cops review cell phone video of the incident. Victim transported to hospital for treatment. Officer Cassie Moore suggests that there is more to the story. Abrams: “So the plot thickens there.”
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop on moped by Cpl. Whetstone for failure to signal when changing lanes. No moped license. Also possible registration problem. Abrams: “Obviously, mope requirements vary from state to state.” Moped operator declines to consent to search, so K9 deployed and alerts. Moped search. Driver cited for alleged possession of meth to turn himself in at a later date because of coronavirus issue at the jail. Warnings for other potential infractions.
  • Clay County, Fla. — Traffic stop; three occupants. K9 Alert. Ammo clip found; occupants detained. Car search. Deputies allegedly find drugs and four guns found, plus $3,000 in cash. Dep. Jason Sydorowicz: “The first thing we doe when we find a firearm, we gotta make sure it’s safe, make sure it’s cleared, all that stuff.” Other deputy to one of the occupants: “You go some crazy hair, man. It’s cool.” Dep. Sydorowicz summary: “So we got four guns in here now total, two extended magazines, we got some dope, we got a lot of money, and we got three convicted felons that don’t need to be in possession of firearms. At the very least, we get them off the street because they don’t need to be in possession of these guns.” Turns out one of the guns is listed as stolen.
  • Williamson County, Tex. — Traffic stop for covered license plate; slow roller. Driver: “I was looking at Facebook.” K9 alert. Drug paraphernalia found in vehicle (multiple pipes). Abrams: “The K9s have been busy on Live PD tonight.”
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officer Moore makes contact woman laying in street.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Deputies to report of alleged home invasion at apartment complex by armed men. Victim identifies at least one of two suspects, the truck, and their location at nearby unit. Possible suspect shows up, denies allegation (“that lady be high.”). Abrams: “So some serious confusion here about what, if anything, happened. That woman made a specific allegation. He saying nothing going on.” Update: No charges at this time. Incident turned over to detectives for follow-up. Alleged victim will stay with friends for the night.
  • Williamson County, Tex. — Deputies respond to accident; car flipped on its side. FD sprays fire extinguisher foam on vehicle. Abrams: “The good news is everyone’s okay there, and considering the condition of the car, that is a relief.”
  • Williamson County, Tex. — Traffic stop; according to Dep. Charles Duvall, driver has many prior drug arrests. Duvall to driver: “Everyone getting new cars out here. You all cashing in on your stimulus checks or what?” K9 deployed; car search. Driver arrested. A friend comes to the scene to pick up Rosie the dog.
  • Crime of the Week roundup — Miami (Morris Jr.: “If there is one thing we can all learn from watching this is that it’s not easy to fight and practice safe social distancing at the same time”), Holly, Mich., Corpus Christi, Tex., and Ogden, Utah.
  • West Baton Rouge, La. — Deputies may have spotted a suspect drug deal at gas station. Det. Glenn Henagan to subject during questioning: “Don’t let my clothes fool you, okay? I’m not an idiot. I wasn’t born today.” Second subject in car detained by Agent James Lewis. He allegedly had a gun. Henagan: “I’d rather his ignorant silence than listen to this one.” Drugs and drug paraphernalia allegedly found in vehicle.
  • Jefferson County, Ala. (pre-taped segment): — Abrams: An incident “involving a suspect who turned out to be notorious…and led to a pursuit.”
  • Pinal County (pre-taped segment): Abrams: “A high-speed pursuit involving a very reckless driver.”
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Domestic call (second time cops had to go to the same address). Someone had a baseball bat. Homeowner mentions some guy “was looking for his turtles.” Cpls. Daniel Lambert spots two people in a car nearby, but they are uninvolved. Cpls. Lambert and Whetsone search area, but subject apparently left.

Lawrence, Ind. — Officers respond to robbery in progress at gas station. In avoiding possible accident, Officer Bishop drives into median and blows out tire. He manages to get to the scene. He makes contact with victim who says that the robbery actually occurred at nearby motel. Tow truck summoned, and operator replaces Bishop’s flat tire.

  • West Baton Rouge, La. — Lt. Cavaliere and Agent Connolly respond to report of alleged “buggy bandit,” i.e., a stolen handicapped buggy from Walmart that is being driven on highway. Subject spotted and detained. Abrams: “At the least, it seems he took it for a joy ride.” Abrams: “That would have been an interesting slow-speed pursuit if he had not immediately stopped.” Walmart declines to prosecute. Subject released with no charges. Walmart employee retrieves buggy.
  • Missing Update and new Missing segment:
  • Tulsa, Okla. — Officer Moore respond to report of a suspect who allegedly pulled a knife on a security guard at a convenience store. Moore spots subject walking on sidewalk but won’t stop for her (“Give me six feet,” he says repeatedly). She deploys taser and she and another officer him into custody. The man was wearing a heavy coat and did not feel the probes. Abrams: “Just another example there of the sometimes limited impact that tasers can have.”
  • Baltimore, Md. — Larkin remotely interviews Police Commissioner Michael Harrison about Maryland lifting the stay-at-home order.
  • Lawrence, Ind. — Officer Bishop responds to possible burglary in progress at apartment complex. Forced entry (door was kicked in), no one answers. Bishop and another officer clear apartment. Flat screen TV and guitar broken. Renter shows up and IDs alleged suspect who lives in nearby apartment. Turns out it is a apparent dispute over second man’s girlfriend, a “triangle of sorts” according to Abrams. The alleged victim declines to press criminal charges; he will try to collect for his damages by filing a civil lawsuit in small claims court.
  • Wanted segment — Fort Worth, Tex.
  • Clay County, Fla. — Traffic stop. Deputies allegedly find a pound of marijuana laced with fentanyl. Driver claims he bought the weed online. Deputies also question passenger.

End of episode. [16 live sequences plus one interview and two pre-taped segments apart from the weekly Crime of the Week, Wanted, and Missing clips].