This Weekend’s On Patrol: Live Highlights, Commentary, and Social Media Activity
In its two-year anniversary weekend, an On Patrol: Live recap, including NYC studio host Dan Abrams’ puns, analysis, and banter with co-anchor Curtis Wilson (a Richland County, S.C., deputy sheriff), along with the often-snarky or playful social media reaction, follows.
Cpt. Tom Rizzo ( Howell Township, N.J, P.D.), the all-but-permanent replacement for original trio member Sean Larkin, is again in the studio as this weekend’s guest analyst.
For background information about On Patrol: Live (i.e., Live PD 2.0), that airs on the Reelz channel (which is available on the Peacock and FreeCast streaming services), click here.
On Patrol: Live Summary for July 19, 2024 (#OPL Episode 03-03)
- Hazen, Ark. –Chief Bradley Taylor assists colleagues on a highway traffic stop. Subject: “I’m sick of this sh*t. I don’t want to drive a truck anymore.” Subject: “You’re gonna ruin my life today?” Ofr. Josh Middleton: “You ruined your life.”
Chief Taylor summary: “Officer Middleton — this guy…was acting a fool back here at the accident when cut him off. I’m not exactly sure. I’ll find out from him, and he had a bad day with Officer Middleton. They say, ‘we’re working the wreck,’ and all of a sudden, he’s got one running on foot and resisting. So he deployed taser and got on him, and we helped him put him in cuffs…” Ofr Middleton to Chief Taylor: “So, he wouldn’t move over…so I got out with him, asking him for his license and stuff. I guess he’s mad at his employer. So he starts hollering and screaming at me, saying ‘I’d rather go to jail than have to drive another truck’…” Taylor: “We can accommodate that.” Middleton: “I said, ‘all right, get out.’ He gets out and takes off running.” Chief Taylor: “Lord have mercy…”
“‘I’d rather go to jail’….We can accommodate that.”
He shouldn't have run because he's got worse problems than hating his job now.
— DebC1🙏🙏🙏🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱 (@Dluvzcritters) July 20, 2024
Chief Taylor further recap: “This individual didn’t move over, wouldn’t move over…Officer Middleton tried to block him and keep him off of us, not rear-ending us on that wreck. He pulled him over just to tell him to move over next time. And when he approached him, and he said the guy was already sideways, and would rather to go to jail than drive another truck. Whatever’s going on, you can tell that he’s not all there. He’s upset about something. And he just jumps out of the truck and takes off running down the Interstate and across the ditch. He is going to jail.”
- Fontana, Calif. — Ofr. Desirae Klumpp makes a traffic stop/well-being check when she notices a passenger throwing up out of a moving car. Caption: “Vomiting in progress.” The driver says they are headed to the hospital. The passenger, age 18, says he’s been retching for 30 minutes. Ofr. Klumpp radios for paramedics to come to the scene to check out the passenger. Ofr. Klumpp: “That’s pretty nasty.” OPL host Dan Abrams: “I didn’t need to see that, but we did.” Ofr. Klump suggests that the passenger may be dehydrated. “Hopefully, [paramedics] they can, like, maybe give him so IVs, some fluids, and then transport him. That was pretty dangerous, seeming him come out of the car…”
- Daytona Beach, Fla. — Sgt. Christopher Maher and Det. Maycon MacDowel make a traffic stop and allegedly find drugs. The driver allegedly has a suspended license. One of the subjects is wearing Dr. Pepper socks.
Det. MacDowel recap: “…nowadays, everything is laced with fentanyl. Everything: meth, weed, syringe right there. So I know people that have been using dope for years. They buy meth; they used to get meth. Nowadays, if you buy meth, it could be fentanyl. You can buy weed, it could be fentanyl. Everything tests for fentanyl nowadays. So there you have it. A little bag of fentanyl. They’re still searching the car. Think the driver’s gonna be arrested. Still checking this guy right here. Possibly possession of fentanyl and paraphernalia.” Abrams update: “The driver and the passenger in the front seat were arrested for drug paraphernalia and possession of fentanyl. The back-seat passenger with no shirt was released with no charges.”
- Richland County, S.C. — Dep. Matt Smith races to an accident scene on a rainy night. When OPL later returns to Smith’s vehicle (presumably a continuance of this same call), he arrives at the scene of a vehicle stuck in a retention pond. Caption: “Vehicle assist.” Dep. Smith and Sgt. Bryce Hughes assist the older driver, who is okay, in getting out of her car. A tow truck arrives to pull the car out of harm’s way.
Meanwhile in region 6…..😂😂 pic.twitter.com/cMVxyO38Mw
— Andrew Ellison (@DeputyEllison) July 20, 2024
Sgt. Hughes synopsis: “This lady called in. She said that she was stuck in a puddle of water, but I guess she’s stuck in a big puddle of water. So Deputy Smith was able to find her and get out with her. We wanted to get her out of the care before anything else happened here. We not gonna be able to get this out without a tow truck. But we’re gonna tow this vehicle out of here, get her somewhere safely, which is the most important thing. And hopefully, the tow truck can save her items in the process.” Dep. Smith adds that “she didn’t realize how deep the pond went. I probably could stand in the pond, and it’d probably be up to my shoulders or my head. Right now, with the water, you can’t see it…so we’re gonna bring get the tow truck here and pull her out and get her back on her way because she’s far from home…her car’s name is bucket…” Abrams: “She’s actually lucky that the car is in as good shape as it is. That was real close.”
- Indian River County, Fla. — Sgt. Chris Lester assists other deputies on a pursuit of a pick-up truck that was allegedly driving recklessly and which winds up crashing into a pole. Paramedics transport the driver to the hospital.
Sgt. Lester summary: “So both the medics and previous deputies that are on scene did a traffic stop on this individual about 30 to 45 minutes ago. And he was acting erratic, kind of under the influence, as to what they thought. But he had told them that he was diabetic, so he took some of his medication or his glucose in front of the paramedics. They checked it; it seemed to be okay. But apparently either he’s having another episode, or some other type of medical issue is occurring. Right now, there’s no suspicion of DUI or anything like that. And I guess when, after the subject crashed into the pole, he jumped out of the vehicle and was acting very sporadic. Talking to EMS over here, he doesn’t know that he was in a crash. He doesn’t really know what’s going on, which leads us to believe that it is some type of diabetic episode. So depending on the results of the EMS, there may be charges for felony fleeing and eluding, but there may not be. So they’re gonna have to do their evaluation. He’ll go up to the hospital. The responding deputies that initiated this incident will go up there to make sure all that checks out and either file felony fleeing-elude charges, or it would be updated to basically a medical call.”
Abrams: “When we heard this call come in, it sounded like one of the officers had called it in, possibly as a medical episode.” OPL guest analyst Cpt. Tom Rizzo: “Sure, because the symptoms could be very similar to what would like like either medical or could be intoxicated, so to make that distinction is very tough until you further investigate.” Abrams: “And we’ve seen a number of incidents on this show even where you think initially that it’s a DUI and then it turns out to be medical.” OPL co-host Dep. Curtis Wilson: “And that’s exactly why EMS comes out, checks him out, takes him in, and make sure he’s okay.” Abrams: “They should know pretty quickly on that…the guy did seem legitimately shocked at what happened…we shall see whether this ends up just being a medical episode.”
- Brookford, N.C. — Chief Will Armstrong assists Ofr. Vilma Rivas on a traffic stop for non-functioning tail lights. The chief tells the driver, who doesn’t want to be on camera and is somewhat initially uncooperative, that he smells weed. Armstrong: “It’s not my first day on the job, man.” Car search. A scale is allegedly found. The driver is told to stomp out a blunt and is released with a verbal warning. “Nobody’s saying you’re a bad person; you just got a little bit of weed on you…I’m telling you, you’re getting lucky tonight.” Abrams: “It became a little more complicated than it need to, but he’s gonna be going on his way.”
Listen to Chief Armstrong’s interaction with the driver:
- Frederick, Md. — Ofr. Garrett Hall responds to a report of someone allegedly trying to leave the scene of an accident. He makes contact with a driver who appears to be exiting a gas station who, when asked to pull around and into the gas station, backs into his police cruiser. Caption: “Fender rear ender.” The driver denies drinking. Paramedics arrive and transport the man to the hospital. Dep. Wilson suggests that another law enforcement agency will need to investigate the accident itself because Indian River is the “victim” in the accident.
Ofr. Hall recap: “…I was first one on scene; when I came in, one of the vehicles was a Pontiac. That Pontiac was trying to leave. Spoke to one of the witnesses real quick in the parking lot and said, ‘yeah, that’s the Pontiac.’ So we turned around and turned our lights on and got out with him. And he did admit that he did strike a vehicle, but stated that he left some notes with his number and everything. And so I told him to turn right and then make another right and come back in the parking lot, so we can figure it all out. And then he proceeded to put it in reverse and then run into the front of my vehicle. So we had him put it in park, pull him out of the vehicle. And it looks like he’s got some medical conditions going on. So we’re just working through the accident report at this point, and he’s gonna be transported over to hospital…some potential charges that he’s probably gonna hold right now is he’s got a suspended license from Maryland. So he’s gonna get a citation where he’s gonna have to appear for court and also for a hit and run….attempting to leave the scene, and he didn’t actually leave any information.” Abrams: “That’s the part we were just waiting on, is what are the potential charges here. It does sound like this is not gonna be a DUI investigation. I guess that could always be possible later on.”
- Triple Play #1 — A naked pedestrian was “hanging out on side of the road,” according to Abrams, and allegedly causing a disturbance in Liberty, Ohio. Dep. Wilson: “The situation is getting a bit hairy.” After the footage airs, Abrams jokes that “sometimes I actually censor myself; I’m just saying.”
- Fontana, Calif. — Ofr. Klumpp makes contact with a horse trainer and his horse. The friendly trainer lets Klumpp go for a ride on Pasquale the pony. “This is so cool…this is a bucket list for sure.” Learning that the horse if for sale (“what’s the ‘horsepower’ on this?”), she jokes that Fontana PD should buy it. “So we’re gonna probably purchase this horse, maybe, hopefully, by the Fontana Police Department, if you’re watching this. Please. We have our trainer that would train us….we have a partnership right here already…”
- Brookford, N.C. — Chief Armstrong leaves a traffic stop where he was assisting to pursue and then pull over a pick-up truck with no tail lights. “You’re driving kind of erratic…” Abrams: “We shall see what happens there. But we do know, look, that any time an officer is pulling over a vehicle, concern is for officer safety. And when you get someone who sort of flies by, at least it makes the officers nervous.” Rizzo: “Not only just not moving over, right? And then instantly taking the the first exit. So it automatically give us, to our senses, ‘why are you trying to evade contact with us’? So pulling into a gas station, pulling off ramp, right? It’s like, right away, something wrong there.” Abrams: “And we shall see if anything happens. That person may be released with absolutely nothing.” It turns out the issue is just a wheel on the truck out of alignment. “I think that wheel is throwing us off and you off because, man, when you’re turning…it looks like…you’re having trouble controlling the car. That’s what I’m getting…that make sense know. It makes me feel a little bit better…”
- Richland County, S.C. (pre-recorded segment) — Master. Dep. Avery Arrington provides back-up on a traffic stop with a driver “who turned out to be riding dirty, in more ways than one,” according to Abrams. Arrington: “The individual, he stared moving around a lot when got his information, so he’s being real suspicious. So they asked for back-up units, so he’s gonna pull up and see what’s going on.” The driver allegedly has warrants. In a car search, deputies allegedly find a crack pipe and sex toys. Dep. Arrington: “I need a raise…my man is kinky.”
“I need a raise…my man is kinky.”
Listen to Dep. Arrington’s summary followed by some studio banter:
- Richland County, S.C. — Sgt. Kenny Fitzsimmons provides a disabled-vehicle assist. “I’m gonna try to push you so you’re only blocking one lane, not two.”
- Hazen, Ark. — Chief Taylor assists other officers on a vehicle pursuit and subsequent stop on the highway. “Apparently it’s a young kid that didn’t understand blue lights meant pull over anymore.” The driver is released with a warning. Abrams: “So the question’s gonna be what kind of ticket or whatever or not that young person is gonna get.”
- Everett, Wash. — Sgt. Robert Edmonds pursues a motorcyclist with a hoodie displaying the Superman logo “but without a cape, and apparently without a helmet,” according to Abrams. The man is detained after a brief foot pursuit. Edmonds enlists the aid of a human translator on the phone to communicate with the subject. Sgt. Edmonds: “It appears he just recently moved here from Ukraine. He does not have a motorcycle endorsement. No insurance on the motorcycle, but that’s besides the point. No helmet on the motorcycle, and then he ran from us. So issued him criminal citations for those. He’ll have to appear for court in a couple of weeks for that.”
Abrams: “When the suspect was on the ground, he appeared to pick something up with his mouth. He was still holding it when he stood up. It was an AirPod. I think a lot of us were wondering, ‘what was that?’ But Curtis, we were talking about languages. It comes up a lot. And you and I, a couple of weeks ago, were talking about how many languages –they had someone there ready to speak to him in Ukraine.” Dep. Wilson: “Ukrainian. So, with Richland County, we have 25 translators that are ready to go with different languages.” Abrams: “Amazing.” Wilson: “Absolutely. We want to be on point.”
- Everett, Wash. — Ofr. Brian Bratlien detains a woman who was allegedly using drugs in public. “What makes you think it’s okay to be doing this in public where people are driving by?…I’m not in the business of getting people in trouble. I’m in the business of holding people accountable…people are driving by with their kids and they’re seeing this nonstop. People are tired of it…so we’re gonna work through this together…”
- Frederick, Md. — Ofr. Ben Graumann and other units respond to an alleged disturbance at a motel by what another motel guest describes as a “big guy.” Caption: “Flex appeal” Ofr. Graumann and colleagues make contact with the subject, who is very cooperative, and initially advise him to stay in him room for the night, but subsequently notify him that the motel wants him trespassed from the location. Abrams: “Looks like this’ll be able to get resolved amicably.” With this satirical question for his fellow panelist, Abrams wonders “Tom Rizzo — you have any family in Maryland?”
- Triple Play #2 — White Settlement, Tex., slow-speed pursuit of a driver allegedly wanted on felony warrants.
- Toledo, Ohio – Ofrs. Lindsey Erhart and Brooke Janowiecki respond to a weapons call in a residential neighborhood but apparently don’t find anything to substantiate the report.
Toledo, Ohio — Ofrs. Erhart and Janowiecki, along with Ofrs. Joe Bomia and Jordan Freimark, and other units pursue a fleeing vehicle. A passenger gets ou and is detained.. The chase continues before the driver foot bails and his detained after a brief pursuit. Ofr. Ehrhart recap: “Our gang unit was trying to stop this vehicle, and it took off on them. We were in kind of short pursuit with the vehicle. We ended up being primary. The vehicle did stop for a second. The passenger got out. My partner, Brooke, jumped out of our car to get with the passenger. I continued pursuing the vehicle…so I continued pursuing the vehicle, and then the back tire completely is blown off of it. So the driver ended up stopping the vehicle and took off on foot. The gangs unit took foot behind him, getting him. And we found a gun by the vehicle as well. So we have everybody in custody. We got the vehicle, and we got the gun. Successful. Yes, the tire is completely blown right here. He was just driving on the rim. So I think that’s what made him stop because he was fishtailing. He was losing control of the vehicle.” Another cop at the scene apparently loses his new phone.
Abrams: “Alright, they got him. And Captain Rizzo, as we were watching this happen, and as Officer Earhart and Janowiecki became the lead vehicle, you were talking about marked vehicles versus unmarked vehicles.” Rizzo: “Sure…I had years of experience doing this. Unmarked cars that we operate, if we’re going to try to stop a car, oftentimes, especially suspected of criminal activity, that element of surprise is gonna lead to a pursuit because it’s not a marked car. Marked car in the area comes in, you automatically have to yield to become the secondary car, and let the marked car take over the pursuit.” Abrams: “And that’s what happened here, right?, with Janowiecki and Earhart were in the marked car as opposed to the gang.” Rizzo: “And then what we’re looking for is quarterback, right? So calling out where you’re seeing potential contraband, weapons, whatever would be discarded, so that we can go ahead later and retrieve it by landmark, right? Like you were saying. So that’s the way we like to do it.” Wilson: “And that’s what we’re talking about as well because she was calling out the fact that he was throwing stuff out of the vehicle…so they got to go where that is as well, and then getting that driver also is important.”
- Daytona Beach, Fla. — Sgt. Maher conducts a traffic stop on a vehicle that allegedly cut someone off.
- Indian River County, Fla. — Sgt. Lester conducts a traffic stop at gunpoint. While he awaits back up, the vehicle flees, prompting a pursuit. Sgt. Lester loses sight of the vehicle which gets away. Sgt. Cliff Labbe searches the area of the stop for any contraband that might have been tossed out.
Sgt. Lester recap: “Obviously, as you can see, I got out of the vehicle. It looked like they threw something out of the driver’s side, and then they both switched seats, and then the passenger was digging under the seat. When I told him to shut the car off, he kept his hand on the vehicle, and they were waiting for me to make my approach, which is why we don’t. And then when I was ordering him to get his hand back out the window, I saw him reach and put it into drive, took off, but because of that semi that was blocking my view, I couldn’t get up to him. I was able to follow the car until it turned south, but I’ve lost him now. So I’m gonna circle back. We’ve got people looking at our license plate reader system to see if they can pick him up, but I don’t think they’re gonna be able to get it with what they had on their license plate.” Cpt. Rizzo: “…that’s the most frustrating thing. When you know you have something…that’s probably criminal activity right in front of you, and then it gets away from you. Horrible.”
- BOLO update (Jackson, Miss.) and new BOLO segment (Frederick, Md).
- Hazen, Ark. — Traffic stop.
- Richland County, S.C. (pre-recorded segment) — Dep. Arrington assists an Animal Control officer on a rescue of an injured dog in the woods.
- Hazen, Ark.— Traffic stop for defective equipment. Chief Taylor says he smells weed, but the driver denies having any weed in the car. “You’ve been arrested a whole bunch.” The chief also tells the driver that he won’t be arresting him on alleged warrants. Vehicle search.
