This Weekend’s On Patrol: Live Highlights, Quotes, Social Media Activity, and Puns

The docuseries On Patrol: Live — i.e., Live PD 2.0 — premiered on the Reelz channel on July 22, 2022 and generally follows the same basic format as its A&E network predecessor in which show producers and videographers accompany cops on night patrol in real time.

About 50 On Patrol: Live cameras go into the field with the law enforcement officers usually from eight or nine different U.S. departments during the ride-along on Friday and Saturday evenings. For legal and other reasons, the show broadcasts live incidents reportedly on an approximately five-to-20 minute tape delay.

OPL does not always update what happened after airing the initial contact/ investigation in each incident; sometimes, however, it provides further information during the On Patrol: First Shift pre-show.

Pre-recorded segments are also typically included the show content.

Some recent OPL lineup changes:

An On Patrol: Live recap, including NYC studio host Dan Abrams’ puns, analysis, and banter with co-anchor Curtis Wilson (Richland County, S.C., deputy sheriff) along with the often-snarky or playful social media reaction, follows.

With retired Tulsa, Okla., cop Sean “Sticks” Larkin, the original member of the trio, phasing out of the show, one or more guest analysts usually join Abrams and Wilson each weekend in the studio.

This weekend, the tandem of Sgt. Geoff McLendon and Ofr. Heather Smith (Toledo, Ohio, PD) provide commentary alongside Abrams and Dep. Wilson.

The Peacock and FreeCast streaming services carry the Reelz Channel, which is the home of OPL.

Please review this important DISCLAIMER.

On Patrol: Live Summary for December 8, 2023 (#OPL Episode 02-37)

  • Indian River County, Fla. (new agency to the show) — Deputies conduct a car search and allegedly find drugs.
  • Toledo, Ohio — Officers respond to a shots fired call and search the area for suspects. One man detained in a traffic stop; he emphatically denies any involvement in the situation. Ofr. Greg Long Jr.: “The caller stated that this gentlemen was involved in a shooting…he gave us consent to search his vehicle, and then he admitted to have some drugs…he had some drug paraphernalia inside the center console…” Ofr. Long update: “So right now, we’re trying to make contact with the three individuals that ran in the house. We can’t make contact, so right now, we just want to get away from the house, collect the shell casings that [were] found in the back yard. But the gentleman right here that we [were] searching — he was a subject at first. He gave us consent to search his vehicle…he also got a lump sum of money in his pockets. So we’re gonna call our detectives, and they can talk to him about that.”

Sgt. McLendon: “So basically right now, they found some casings. So they’re trying to determine if it’s just a misdemeanor; was it a person shooting in the air. So that’s only a misdemeanor. So lot of times, it’s just pick up the casings, and go on to the next one. But if they determine that something was struck or someone was getting shot at, then that kind of changes things. As they believe the subject went in the house, they might consider a barricade, and go from there. Ofr. Smith adds that “Toledo has ShotSpotter; it’s a bunch of cameras or sound systems in the area that can triangulate gunfire in the area. So we know that there is gunfire because we got a shot-spotter alert. We also got a call-in from somebody that lives in the area.” Abrams: “So you have two points now to use. It’s not just shot spotter. It’s also eyewitnesses which makes it even somewhat more credible as you’re investigating.”

Ofr. Austin Bly: “So right now, the initial call that came in described that truck as being involved with shots fired. Sounds like most of the suspects ran inside. When crews got here, they noticed this gentleman in the car with apparently a lot of drugs. So right now, he’s still detained. We have a detective out here right now that’s gonna interview and question each and every one of them. With the drugs, they’ll probably go down and test it to see if it comes up as anything. So he’ll have to go up to our second floor and end up getting interviewed by a detective.”

  • Lee County, Fla. — In a traffic stop, Det. Phillip Sin runs his K9 around the vehicle, K9 alert. The driver denies that there are drugs in the car. Vehicle search. Abrams update: “The passenger was arrested for possession of MDMA and marijuana. The driver there was released with no charges.”
  • Daytona Beach, Fla. — Lt. Richie Maher responds to a report of a stand-up electric scooter robbery. He makes contact and detains a suspect, who Maher praises for his honesty. The scooter owner arrives the scene to retrieve the scooter, which was equipped with an air tag.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Cpl. BJ Nelson conducts a traffic stop for failure to maintain lane and improper lane change. The driver was spotted allegedly tossing items, which appear to be small baggies, out of the vehicle window. Consensual car search. The driver is arrested for possession.

Abrams quips that “If you’re gonna throw drugs out of the car, you probably want to do it a little earlier, right, then when you’re just getting pulled over. At least go for it in a dark area…” Ofr. Smith jokes that “it would be beneficial for them to do that.” She goes on to say in a more serious note that “But for us, when we’re making a traffic stop, you always got to be vigilant when you’re pulling someone over for your safety and other people’s safety. Then you got to be always vigilant of them throwing things out of the car as well, not just what’s going on in the car.” Abrams: “We see it a lot here, and interestingly, a lot of you out there also watching carefully as to what’s happening during these traffic stops.”

Cpl. Nelson: “So again, we obviously made a traffic stop for traffic infractions…he was trying to figure out where to pull over, you could see him clear as day throwing out dope out of the passenger side and the driver’s side window. Thankfully, we had a unit nearby that recovered the one that was in the roadway. He admitted to, post-Miranda, that the stuff was in the vehicle, and he admitted to throwing it out the window. So tonight he’s gonna take a charge for possession of meth amphetamine and possession of fentanyl.”

  • Fullerton, Calif. (pre-recorded segment) — Ofr. Jason Ham and other units respond to a residential burglary call and make a traffic stop on a suspect vehicle. The latter may have been the lookout car. One subject taken into custody. Investigation ongoing.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Cpl. Daniel Lambert and other officers conduct a traffic stop; two occupants detained. Drugs allegedly found. One of the subjects appears to allegedly try to swallow evidence that was placed on the hood and is taken down. “That was really dumb, man.” Abrams: “This guy is saying that he was trying to head butt the car at a sort of anger.” After replaying the footage, Abrams quips that “that’s not a head butt. He may be a butt head, but that’s not a head butt.” Ofr. Smith: “People do some strange things when they think they’re going to jail. I don’t know what his thought process was…” Abrams: “Destroying the evidence, right?” Wilson: “Thinking that if he can eat these drugs, there’s no evidence…no charges…those drugs still will be in his system, one, and two, it’s also dangerous.” Sgt. McClendon: “And it’s tampering with evidence which is a felony…” Abrams: “A lot of reasons not to have done that.”

Abrams update: The driver “who tried to head butt the drugs” was “arrested for possession with intent to distribute heroin and meth. The passenger was arrested on warrants for shoplifting.”

  • Daytona Beach, Fla. — In a brief foot pursuit, Ofrs. Brandon Ramirez and Matt Grosse detain a man who is allegedly high on Molly, i.e., MDMA, after being flagged own by the subject’s concerned parents. Ofr. Ramirez: “We were approached by that couple in the vehicle in front of us. They said this is their son; he’s on Molly. He’s been trying to fight people, so we had enough to take him for a Marchman Act. Soon as he saw us, he took off running. So we got him, and he’s definitely gonna be going to the hospital and probably gonna be under arrest for resisting.” Ofr. Grosse adds the parents were worried about their son’s “well being and well being of others” and that the subject took off after they tried to make contact with him. Grosse says that in the chase, he allegedly “almost pushes a motorcycle over. Hits me with with a water bottle…he’s gonna got to jail for resisting and possibly battery on a LEO.

Ofr. Grosse: “We’re gonna get him help that he needs, because obviously he is high on narcotics. He’s a danger to not only himself but other people…the main concern is we want to get him help. We want to get him into recovery. Sad seeing these people in these kind of situations, but if we can help them in any way, shape, or form, we’ll do so as a law enforcement officer. Abrams: “It’s obviously a difficult situation for everyone there. Parents tried to do the right thing. Officers tried to do the right thing, but it seems that this young man is gonna likely get arrested here.”

  • Lee County, Fla. (pre-recorded segment) — Deputies respond to a report of a shots fired call in a residential neighborhood and detained several individuals at gunpoint. Dep. Daniel Ochs: “We took a tactical approach. Saw subjects outside arguing. Made contact with them. Was able to defuse the situation. It turns out it was just a birthday party and advised them to take it in for the night.”
  • Toledo, Ohio — In a well-being check, officers respond to report of a man allegedly passed out on the front lawn of a home. Ofr. Long to subject: “You good? No, you’re not good…you’re just knocked out, bro.” He allegedly tells officers that he ingested fentanyl. Officers detain him for his own safety. Paramedics summoned to the scene. Ofr. Long: “…It looked like he was unconscious. I gave him a sternum rub and he woke up. He don’t want to talk to me right now. Seems like he’s on some type of narcotic or something. We called the fire department here. They’re coming up right now just to make sure he’s okay…he did admit to using earlier, so we’re trying to figure out what’s going on with the gentleman today.”

Ofr. Smith: “We get a lot of calls for people down. We always go lights and sirens because you never know what’s actually going on, if it’s a medical issue, if they’re overdosing on drugs. One of the ways that we get them to come back around — we’ll try a sternum rub, which is when you take your knuckles, and you you rub them on their chest. Normally wakes someone up.” Abrams: “Certainly woke this guy up…”

  • Fullerton, Calif. — Ofr. George Peterson and other units respond to an accident scene in which a car appears to have crashed into a roundabout. DUI investigation to follow. Abrams: “We all hate going around those traffic circles, and I guess there was an effort there to just maybe take a shortcut.”
  • Triple Play #1 — Indian River County, Fla.
  • Toledo, Ohio — #HolyToledo Q&A for Sgt. McLendon and Ofr. Smith.
  • Coweta County, Fla. — Dep. Anthony Bufano assists state troopers on a traffic stop at a DUI checkpoint. Alleged weed odor plus open container. After field sobriety testing, driver and passenger agree to switch positions; released with no charges. Dep. Bufano: “They don’t feel comfortable with him driving, but not to the point to where they gonna give him a DUI, so just destroyed the marijuana and let his girlfriend drive.”
  • Indian River County, Fla. — Deputies search for a hit-and-run vehicle. Det. Christian Castano makes contact on the side of the road with the owner of the truck that was hit. The owner indicates that he’s fine and that his truck suffered no serious damage. The other vehicle may have just bumped his front tire.
  • Toledo, Ohio — Highlight reel of Ofr. Smith interactions with subjects as previously aired on OPL. Wilson praises Smith’s demeanor and de-escalating personality when dealing with people in these encounters and playfully suggests that she should “give some of those lessons to Greg Long Jr.”
  • BOLO segment — Lexington, Ky. . After the footage of the drive-by inflatable Santa shooting, Abrams, as an aside, asks the panel if they know who Santa’s enemy is. Wilson satirically wonders if it might be the Abominable Snowman or former co-host Sean “Sticks” Larkin, but it is actually a mythical creature known as Krampus. OPL also commemorates Larkin’s birthday with some images from social media.
  • Toledo, Ohio –– Officer detain the occupants of a white truck in a parking lot in connection with a weapons call. It turns out that they are uninvolved and it may be a false alarm. Ofr. Bly: “They gave us permission to search the vehicle. No weapons were found, so obviously it’s probably a false call.” Abrams comments that “It seems it wasn’t this car” and points out that the trio detained didn’t “quite fit the description of the people who were in the vehicle” and that “The least credible testimony can be eyewitness testimony.”
  • Daytona Beach, Fla. (pre-recorded segment) — Officers respond to a report of a stolen electric bicycle. One subject detained and will be required to appear in court on the incident. The bike owner, as well as him mom, arrives the scene to retrieve the bike, which was equipped with an Apple air tag that can be tracked by GPS. Abrams: “Bravo to this guy with the air tags, right?” Ofr. Smith: “What a genius. And he seemed happy about it. Good for him.”
  • Richland County, S.C. — Master Dep. Tim Riley and a colleague conduct a traffic stop. The driver allegedly has a warrant from another S.C. county that dates back to 2004. The driver denies ever setting foot in that county. The OPL episode does not provide an update as to whether the warrant was officially confirmed/validated and/or otherwise how the stop was resolved. Abrams: “That does make the situation a little trickier, right? We’re talking about a 20-year old crime that’s suddenly in the system two months ago. How is something like that happen?” Wilson alludes to the possibility that the 2004 date might be a typo and adds that “I’m sure they’ll really double check to make sure they have the right guy.”
  • Fullerton, Calif. (pre-recorded segment) — Cpl. Brady Jones spots a pedestrian who is an alleged burglary suspect from the previous night. The subject, who is on probation, is detained, and officers conduct a probation check at his house “to try to recover the stolen property.” Cops recover a substantial amount of alleged evidence in the man’s room, which Ofr. Jones details, and the suspect is arrested for burglary.
  • Indian River County, Fla. — Traffic stop. K9 deployed; K9 alert.
  • Triple Play #2 — Arkansas.
  • Richland County, S.C. — K9 Specialist Kory Mayo assists the gang in a pursuit of a fleeing vehicle. Master Dep. Riley deploys stop sticks. Suspects taken into custody after a foot bail.
  • Indian River County, Fla. — Dep. Matthew Baumann conducts a traffic stop on a driver who for alleged reckless or careless driving after the motorist previously “peeled out” at an intersection. Dep. Baumann: “She just seems a little spaced out and out there…there’s a weird smell coming from her car. I can’t really tell if it’s perfume or what have you. But I’m gonna run her, see what it comes back with. Talk to her a little bit more and see if there is any other signs of possible intoxication or anything like that to go down that road.” Baumann subsequently explains that “I didn’t smell nothing on her breath. Her pupils seem fine. With pupils usually show signs for different types of narcotics…I think the initial smell was just perfume from inside the vehicle. I’m not gonna write her a ticket for all that…just let her get on her way and hope she drives better.” The driver, who is parked in her driveway, is released with a warning.
  • Toledo, Ohio — Officers respond to a possible OD on the street. Narcan administered to the subject who was on the sidewalk. Ofr. Bly: “We actually had a passerby who saw this gentleman passed out. An officer got here. He observed that it was gonna be an overdose. He gave him a dose of Narcan which will take away that high and kind of wake him up. It takes a couple of minutes…so we usually do one squirt and then wait a couple of minutes before we apply another dose of Narcan. So Fire Department is gonna treat him, check his blood pressure and everything, and he’ll probably have to go to the hospital.”

Ofr. Bly subsequently adds that “as Fire was checking him out — they were trying to take off his jacket to assess him, and a straw fell out of his pocket that’s typically used with drug use, snorting something. Then the Fire Department opened up his cigarette pack and there’s a folder in there typically used for heroin, so there’s probably heroin in that fold. From here, he’s gonna go to the hospital. We’ll contact our detectives [to] see how many times he’s actually overdosed. He can actually be charged for the third overdose in the state of Ohio, so we’re gonna run him, make sure he given us the right name, and probably follow up with him at the hospital.”

  • Berkeley County, S.C. — After a traffic stop, occupants are released with a written warning after a car search. Cpl. Nelson tells the occupants that “All right, gentlemen, obviously like I was tell you earlier, we got a job to do…obviously, if things don’t seem right, we go further, okay? But we ain’t in the business of locking people up over a little bit of weed. and a little bit of open containers, okay?” Contents of open container poured out.
  • Richland County, S.C. — As the episode concludes, Master Dep. Riley and other units respond to several reports of shots fired call at an apartment complex and canvas the area for shell casings or other evidence. With reference to a sports bra spotted on the ground, Abrams quips that “interesting scene with all sorts of potential evidence.”

On Patrol: Live Summary for December 9, 2023 (#OPL Episode 02-38)

CLICK HERE for the OPL 02-38 recap.

The A&E vs. OPL Lawsuit Is Moving Forward

The pending litigation may explain the new OPL set design and changes to the logo, music, and names of the recurring segments. That also may be why the clever incident captions had tapered off for a while.