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

A recap of the June 29, 2024, On Patrol: Live episode (OPL #02-88), anchored in the NYC studio by host Dan Abrams, along with co-host Deputy Curtis Wilson, and this weekend’s guest analyst, Captain Tom Rizzo, appears below.

This season finale is a four-hour episode, with the bonus hour airing from 12 midnight to 1 a.m.

OPL presumably will be in reruns during the July 4th holiday weekend, and will return with on July 12 and 13 with new, live episodes, constituting the premiere weekend for Season 3.

Note: Click here for the OPL #02-87, June 28, 2024, recap.

Updates from Friday night’s episode:

Agency updates: The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office is reportedly leaving the show, which may explain why its Humboldt County, Calif., counterpart is joining.

On Patrol: Live Summary for June 29, 2024 (#OPL Episode 02-88)

Please review this important DISCLAIMER.
  • Daytona Beach, Fla. (prior to air) — Lt. Richie Maher and other units search for a fleeing vehicle. After a positive stick hit, the vehicle apparently crashed out, and two occupants are taken into custody. Lt. Maher and others search on foot for another subject outside of home. They spot a ladder learning against the home. “No way two nights in a row.” With extensive resources deployed, cops ultimately detain a third man whose nickname is allegedly “Stomach.” Caption: “Three suspects in custody.”

Lt. Maher summary: “Found a bunch of drugs, a little bit of the drugs got thrown out the window, but they were right there to recover it. There’s something floating in that drink there that gives us a bit of concern….and VCAT just came into contact with our suspect. So he’s gonna be in custody in reference to…an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest, multiple narcotics charges, and whatever else that he might have…beautiful job by VCAT, as always…helicopter did a great job. Good stuff.”

Sgt. Bryant adds that “This is a culmination of good police work, being diligent, being professional, talking to the community, and using every single available police resource. Technology, word of mouth, previous reports, felony warrants, so he’s going for the fleeing and eluding, probably aggravated fleeing and eluding, and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage. He probably doesn’t have a license…additional narcotics we found in the car, additional to his warrants. So, ‘Stomach’ is going to jail. That’s his nickname. And off he goes.” OPL host Abrams: “Sometimes you don’t need to ask how someone got their nickname, but sometimes you do. But this is a case where they got him, and the two passengers as well. We shall see what the charges end up being for all. We’ve heard about some of the ones the police are going to be [unintelligible]. In addition to, and that sounded like, an outstanding warrant.”

  • Fontana, Calif. — Ofr. Andrew Davis and Brian Zozaya conduct a traffic stop. The very cooperative and friendly driver is a tuba player. Car search. Tuba case search. The driver is a released with no charges. Abrams: “The tuba is, of course, the largest and the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family…I said ‘of course,’ but of course, I just looked it up…” The driver mentions that the instrument costs $10,000.

Ofr. Davis recap: “My partner stopped this guy, I guess, for speeding. Upon contacting him and running him, he was found to be on federal probation for conspiracy involving narcotics. So, my partner decided to take him out, search the vehicle, make sure…he’s not like transporting any illegal narcotics or anything like that. Super cool guy. I guess he plays the tuba. He’s on his way. Nothing illegal in the car, so he’s good to go.”

  • Everett, Wash. (pre-recorded segment) — Sgt. Nate Wallace spots a parked van for mismatched tags. A male is detained. A female who initially walked away is also detained. A records check indicates that the vehicle is allegedly stolen. Both subjects allegedly have warrants. One or more shaved keys allegedly found. Sgt. Wallace: “They’re gonna go to jail…for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a stolen vehicle, and their warrants.” Abrams: “As we were watching that, we were talking about the decision that the officer made there not to go after the woman.” OPL guest studio analyst Cpt. Tom Rizzo: “Sure. Well, he’s by himself. He’s watching the guy go in and out of the stolen vehicle, so closest in proximity to him makes just sense to grab on, go with the sure bet, and, again, then we could work on…the other person.” Abrams: “And she wasn’t complying, either.” OPL co-host Dep. Curtis Wilson: “No, she wasn’t. She was actually walking away. He’s trying to say she has nothing to do with it, but yet they both had these shaved keys, which they used to jimmy this vehicle. They can’t charge him with a grand larceny, but they can charge him with possession of a stolen [vehicle].”
  • Daytona Beach, Fla. — Lt. Maher provides backup to other officers in connection with someone who is allegedly resisting outside of a crowded movie theater/entertainment area. A man with “shiny shoes” appears to be detained at the scene. Two individuals on scene appear to be writing out witness statements.

“I would have called for backup just if I saw those shoes.”

Lt. Maher summary: “It sounds like the two males were out here causing some kind of scene. He interjected. They both wanted to resist him. Hell of a mistake with a guy that size. We got him into custody. They’re not injured from our use of force. He’s uninjured. We’re going to get them, get them out of here, and hopefully calm the situation down a bit. Hell of a crowd out here right now, though.” Abrams: “Someone resisting, obviously, they got to get immediate backup on that scene.” Rizzo: “It’s one of the things we try to train younger officers, though. You’re no good to being an assistance if you wreck on the way there. It’s one of those things when that call goes out where literally everybody’s gonna start toward that location, but we have to get there in order to be a help.” Abrams: “And the description would have been helpful, right?…” Rizzo quips in response that “I would have called for backup just if I saw those shoes.” Later in the segment, Abrams quips that “it is always a party in Daytona…some fest.” Rizzo: “But you’ve got sequins shoes, shark hats.” Abrams: “And that’s nothing; that’s just getting on the surface.” Wilson: “The night is still young.”

  • Toledo, Ohio — Ofrs. Mike Gee and Chris Mulinix investigate a disturbance — possibly a robbery that turned into shots fired. Someone may have been allegedly pistol whipped. Gee: “We’re just trying to figure out what’s going on, man.” A suspect is detained at the scene. No follow-up information, however, from OPL.
  • Richland County, S.C. — K9 Specialist John O’Shaughnesssy and other units conduct a traffic stop for speeding. A passenger appears reluctant get out of the car or let go of a bag. Cops remove him and take him to the ground. “Did you take anything? Your pupils are huge.” Car search; white powder allegedly found. OPL caption: “Drugs found.” Subject: “I don’t know what that is.” The subject’s actual birthdate seems to be an issue. According to Abrams, “they just tested the suspected drugs they found in that vehicle…tested positive for cocaine. Started as a speeding stop.”

Specialist O’Shaughnesssy’s incident recap: “From a neighboring agency, that car actually fled from them. We spotted it, pulled it over, and recognized that he may be the one that fled. He was very nervous. I could see him breathing real bad. So when we asked him to step out, he didn’t want to step out. Had a little tussle, got him detained. Then he mentioned that he had weed on him or in the bag. As we started looking, we ended up finding a large sum of cash, which led to the search of the car, and there was some cocaine in the center console. Almost an ounce of cocaine. So he’ll be going to jail for possession of cocaine…or trafficking.” The deputy mentions that they’ll have check the quantity of the weed allegedly found for charges, if any, and they also will probably seize the cash.

Abrams: “So interesting — we had initially thought this was just a speeding stop …information that led them to want to stop this vehicle.” Rizzo: “Sure, pretextual stop, perfectly legit. A lot to unpack there, though. You see how people, I can’t tell you how many times, they’ll offer up the lesser of a violation. I’ve had that happen to me so many times, ‘oh yeah, I’ve got a little bit of marijuana,’ because they want your attention off of what a harder drug would be, a more severe consequence.” Abrams: “This guy didn’t help his case by not cooperating at all.” Rizzo: “Well, of course, and like I said to you before, starting the story at ‘chapter four.’ They just walked up and struck him. I don’t think that’s the way it went down.”

  • Everett, Wash. — Ofr. Michael Phillips responds to a report of a fight at an apartment complex. A guinea pig and snake are apparently inside the unit. The complainant tells the cops that the alleged suspect had already departed the scene. Officers intend the to search area for the suspect. Ofr. Phillips: “So the other involved party left already. We don’t know if it was in a specific vehicle or not, so we’re gonna just drive around and see if we can look up some history, and see what he might driving. It looks like we’re more than likely going to have PC for assault for DV, but we’ll let officers here figure that out. We’re gonna drive around and try to find the other half.” Abrams: “PC, of course [is] probable cause, DV, domestic violence, is what it sounds like they’re gonna be investigating here.”
  • Triple Play #3 — a Lowell, Ark., pursuit that Abrams describes as “part pursuit, part demolition derby” after a vehicle fled from a traffic stop. As OPL viewers likely anticipated, Abrams also quips that the additional Triple Play video upcoming in the bonus hour is a “four play.”
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Cpl. Bryson Fowler conducts a traffic stop on a truck for a possible impaired motorist. OPL caption: “Possible drunk driver.” The driver was, however, not under the influence of alcohol and is released.
  • Brookford, N.C. — Chief Will Armstrong makes friendly contact with a man over an expired tag issue.
  • Fontana, Calif. — Cops investigate a domestic incident and wind up taking a male (who says he consumed one beer) into custody. Ofr. Davis summary: “So he’s gonna be going to jail for misdemeanor domestic violence. He got in a verbal argument with his wife, referenced her talking to someone else online. He didn’t like it. He was demanding who she was talking to. During the verbal argument, he pushed his wife. In the state of California, you can’t get physical with an intimate partner. So he’ll be going to jail tonight.”
  • Toledo, Ohio — Ofrs. Gee, Mulinix, and other units investigate a weapons call at an apartment complex and make contact with the complainant. The cops then knock on the apartment door of possibly the woman’s alleged antagonist, but it’s not clear if anyone ever answered. Ofr. Mulinix: “It came in as a weapons call; it’s gonna be more of a menacing complaint. Talking with the victim, she states that she was out last night with this female and her daughter. Something occurred after they left the bar with her daughter. She came over, or called this morning, wanted to go to breakfast, and now this afternoon, she’s coming down, making threats, hitting the door with something heavy, causing damage to that.” Report to be written.
  • Robeson County, N.C. (pre-recorded segment) — Dep. Donovan Bowen, Sgt. Branston Collins, and others respond to call about a naked man running through a field and possibly on drugs. Deputies locate the man inside a car. “…I want to make sure you’re okay…you’re in no kind of trouble, but let me know what your taking. because you’re taking something…” According to Sgt. Collins, the subject is “very, very intoxicated.” The subject is transported to the hospital in a patrol car.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Specialist O’Shaughnesssy races to a burglary in progress. Three subjects allegedly had fled from the scene. Deputies intend to set up a perimeter.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Cpl. Anthony Morrow investigates on scene where a car crashed into a pole outside a residence. The car is abandoned. Cpl. Morrow makes contact with the neighbor who called it in who says that a male driver walked away from the accident. The electric company is notified to check the pole, and the state highway patrol will take over the investigation from here. A Batman mask spotted on front seat. Abrams: “Batman left without Robin apparently by himself.”
  • Indian River County, Fla. — Sgt. Dwayne Hoilett and other units investigate an accident in which a vehicle may have left the scene. Sgt. Hoilett summary: “So as you can see, there’s pretty significant vehicle damage. That passenger side front tire is hanging on by a thread. Apparently, the witness said he was driving the vehicle like that after he struck two other vehicles. He tried to pull into a neighborhood that’s here to the south. Ran that red light, and then ran that same red light, come back north through this plaza here. And then where deputy eventually stopped him when he pulled over. So pretty bad shape. So I’m interested to see how intoxicated he is, or kind of how coherent he is, with that kind of vehicle damage, trying to operate the vehicle. If he’s trying to flee or run away from law enforcement, or just whoever he thought was chasing him. We have a witness here who was the one who called us, located the vehicle. See what we’re gonna do.”
  • Richland County, S.C. (pre-recorded segment) — Dep. Jose Lopez and other units conduct a traffic stop at a gas station. Three suspects, one of whom initially resisted, are detained “I ain’t did nothing…I ain’t got to be quiet. I know my rights…” Dep. Lopez: “Right now, you got the right to remain silent.” Car search. Drugs allegedly found. Dep. Lopez summary: “It looks like both the driver and the passenger in the back are both being charged with possession of narcotics, Schedule 4, and the female is gonna be let go. Just gonna give her a verbal warning.”
  • Everett, Wash. — Ofr. Phillips and Sgt. Kyle Coleman conduct a traffic stop and take the driver into custody on an alleged warrant.
  • Toledo, Ohio — Cops respond to a call about shots fired in a residential neighborhood. Possible false alarm; perhaps fireworks (OPL does not explicitly explain the result of the call).
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — Cpls. Fowler, Carli Drayton, and Devonte Carr search for a missing eight-year-old boy. After an investigation, turns that the youngster is with his grandmother. Cpl. Fowler goes to the grandmother’s residence just to confirm that the child is there.

Listen to Cpl. Fowler’s summary:

  • Brookford, N.C. — Chief Armstrong initiates a traffic stop on a motorcycle for an expired registration. The operator allegedly does not have a driver’s license nor a permit to carry a concealed handgun that it is in his pocket. Chief Armstrong: “…He doesn’t have anything, so he really just shouldn’t be out. We’re gonna get to the bottom of it, run his information, and we’re gonna see what we’re gonna do from here.”
  • Daytona Beach, Fla. — Sgt. Mike Bryant and other units respond to a report of an alligator under a homeowner’s car. Sgt. Bryant characterizes the “swamp puppy” as small but fast. “Look at those eyes; they’re all lit up. He’s looking back at you, but he don’t want nothing to do with you.” OPL caption: “Gator in the grass.” The state Fish and Wildlife Commission is notified.

Sgt. Bryant summary: “Again, this is Florida, all right? This is an everyday occurrence. We’re taking away their habitat, building colossal palatial estates, and they come out to visit us. The homeowner thought this was like a four-to-six-foot gator, maybe four at best, but it’s a baby. But those are the ones that are very vicious and they’re very quick. So as soon as he saw us, off he went to the bushes, and there’s water in the back, back here, so he’s probably gonna head toward that water, and we’re gonna make contact with the caller and make sure he’s good.”

Toledo, Ohio — Ofr. Mulinix makes a traffic stop on a car with the headlights off. The driver to the officer: “I’m drunk; I’m not gonna lie.” Ofr. Mulinix: “You don’t have a driver’s license either? All right, give me the keys…I’m not gonna be mad at you, but I need your car keys because you don’t have a license, right?” The driver and passenger are detained. Possible seatbelt violation too. OPL caption: “Investigating DUI.” Abrams: “There may be a lot of violations there. We shall see.” Car search. The passenger is released but doesn’t seem to want to leave the scene. Mulinix: “You’re doing a terrible job of leaving.” Cops are unable to find keys that the passenger is concerned about. The driver is arrested for alleged warrants. Car towed.

“I’m drunk; I’m not gonna lie.”

  • Toledo, Ohio — Ofr. Gee makes contact with a motorist in a disabled vehicle whose tired popped off. OPL caption: Riding on rim.” Gee finds the tire and brings it back to the car. “I was driving this way, and as I was passing her, her tire came off, and then she slid quite a ways…but she said she’s good. So I’m just gonna standby for her, make sure she gets some help…” A mechanic arrives to reinstall the tire.
  • Daytona Beach, Fla. — Lt. Maher responds to a purported domestic incident at a residence in which a relative allegedly threatened a family member with a broom using an alternative word for the latter.
  • BOLO segment — Berks County, Pa., dueling porch pirates. Cpt. Rizzo: “Often in some of these cases, people aren’t even ordering these things. These are delivered to their ‘bogus’ addresses so that that’s where they’re staged, and they’re tracked by these would-be thieves. Certain carriers will be hacked that way for accounts, and they’ll be ordered in somebody else’s name, with the porch pirates ready to go.”
  • Everett, Wash. — Ofr. Phillips and Sgt. Coleman make contact with a man who is asleep in a parked car in an apparently sketchy neighborhood and wake him up. When they ask him what city he’s in, the subject says “give me a hint.” No valid license. The cops advise the man not to drive and to make arrangements for a licensed driver to take over. Ofr. Phillips: “It looks like he was just taking a nap. A lot of times, people will pass out after they’ve done some drugs. And generally there’s gonna be…some drug paraphernalia, on their lap or around them. I didn’t see that; just a little bit of a cigarette. I could smell the cigarette…”
  • Hazen, Ark. — Chief Bradley Taylor and other units make a traffic stop on I-40. The chief allegedly smells weed from the vehicle. Three occupants. K9 Bosco is deployed after voluntary car search declined; K9 alert. Car search. Weed and at least one gun found. Chief Taylor allegedly arrested one of the trio before and admonishes him and his friends. Chief Taylor: “…Y’all a bunch of whiners; why don’t y’all use your right to remain silent and shut up…you act like you know the law, and you don’t know nothing…”

“…Y’all a bunch of whiners; why don’t y’all use your right to remain silent and shut up…”

Abrams update: “All three of those young men who were on the ground were released. Only one of the guns was confiscated, and the vehicle was towed. But all released.”

  • Brookford, N.C. — Chief Armstrong and colleagues pursue two speeding motorcycles. One stops; he loses the other one. He questions the one who stopped. “Who is the guy who was riding with you?”

Det. Jake. Brantley interim summary: “I initially stopped him. There were two motorcycles going the opposite way. He didn’t have a license plate on the vehicle. The other one was just driving minimum 75, not 35, but 45, trying to get away from us. So he initially stopped. I got out and spoke with him .Chief Armstrong got behind the other vehicle, which then proceeded to flee and elude at sounds like over 100 miles an hour. These are two guys who were riding together. Looks like this is his bike. He told me earlier that his license plate just flew off. It looks like everything is actually registered to him. One thing I’m gonna do with him before he leaves, I’m gonna — just give me his license. I’m gonna take off his helmet, just take a look at him, make sure I’m actually looking at whom I supposed to looking at — see if we can find out the guy who actually ran from us.”

The chief and Det. Brantley subsequently go to the home of the alleged fleeing motorcyclist and find that the bike’s engine is still hot. Chief Armstrong scolds the young man, age 20, for putting himself, police, and other motorists in danger and takes him into custody. “There’s a difference in having fun, and there’s a difference in driving like you’re a damn maniac.” Sounding a lot like Chief Taylor, Chief Armstrong also declares that “if y’all run, we will chase you, and we will get you.” The subject is arrested, and his bike is seized.

Listen to Chief Armstrong’s dialogue with the contrite young man who says he ran because was scared:

  • Daytona Beach, Fla. — Sgt. Bryant conducts a bicycle stop. “Why do you have so many knives? Are you a knife thrower?…I don’t want to contend with circus tricks.” Subject; “You’re the only trick I see.” Listen to Sgt. Bryant’s interaction with the subject:
  • Daytona Beach, Fla. — Sgt. Bryant leaves the previous call to assist other officers in a pursuit of a fleeing vehicle that turns into a foot pursuit after the car wrecks out.
  • Brookford, N.C. — Det. Brantley conducts a traffic stop on a car that allegedly hit a guard rail. OPL caption: “Investigating accident.” Brantley attempts to conduct field sobriety testing with the driver but a language barrier appears to be an issue, even with the detective using a translate app. Det. Brantley: “…he’s heavily intoxicated. We’re limited on our ability to have a conversation with him because he is, as he said multiple times, Vietnamese…there’s a good chance he’s coming with us today.” The motorist is ultimately arrested.

Listen to Det. Brantley’s fuller explanation of the investigation:

  • Fontana, Calif. — Officers provide backup at an accident scene where someone is allegedly being combative. A subject at the scene denies drinking. Field sobriety testing, although a language barrier also seems to be an issue.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Cpl. Morrow tracks a possible hit-and-run vehicle. Traffic stop.
  • Richland County, S.C. — Deputies respond to the scene where fight allegedly broke out. One man is detained at the scene. A gun is on the ground.
  • Four Play — Evesham, N.J., house fire.
  • Berkeley County, S.C. — While pursuing a reckless driver, Cpl. Fowler’s vehicle has a flat tire.
  • Toledo, Ohio — As a the four-hour episode ends, multiple officers respond to and break up a fight outside a bar in a downtown area.