This Weekend’s On Patrol: Live Highlights
The docuseries On Patrol: Live — i.e., Live PD 2.0 — premiered on the Reelz channel in July 2022 and generally follows the same basic format as its A&E network predecessor in which videographers accompany cops on night patrol in real time.
About 50 On Patrol: Live cameras go into the field with the law enforcement officers during the ride-along on Friday and Saturday evenings.
According to a report published by IndieWire on February 7, Reelz viewership has increased nearly 300 percent year over year with On Patrol: Live on its schedule.
Perhaps for this reason, Reelz has now renewed On Patrol: Live for an additional 90 episodes.
On Patrol: Live is now available on NBC’s Peacock video streaming service, which should significantly increase the show’s reach and presumably at the expense of other streaming services to which many consumers subscribed specifically for getting OPL.
An On Patrol: Live recap, including the controversial killing of an alligator and the the intense social media reaction to it, follows.
NOTE: See Disclaimer below.
On Patrol: Live Summary for March 3, 2023 (#OPL Episode 01-61)
- Volusia County, Fla. — Deputies respond to a report of a disturbance involving an alleged drunk boyfriend at residence. Deputies encounter man whose motorcycle is tipped over outside his home. Man claims he can’t pick up bike by himself. The bike might be towed otherwise. Deputy Brett Whitson tells the man should be right-sizing the bike on his own. Captions: “Not taking a stand,” “Having trouble getting it up?,” “Uneasy rider.” Other deputies assist and help the man push the bike home.
- Daytona Beach, Fla. — On Patrol: Live provides a glimpse of the large crowd on Main Street during the city’s ongoing Bike Week.
- Richland County, S.C. — Capt. Danny Brown interacts with man in motel parking lot. As he often does, Brown smells weed coming for the car. Cocaine and gun allegedly found. Subject also has warrant. Brown: “We just got told by the hotel staff that people have been breaking into cars out here. So we decided to do a courtesy drive around…we got somebody…sitting in a car…as soon as he opened the door, we smelled weed, so we’re gonna do a probably cause search of the vehicle…we do d find people sitting in these parking lots even when they work at the locations…we’ve seen folks to where they’ll be working at gas stations, stuff like that, and they actually sell on their breaks… just using that location for their benefit..” Studio host Dan Abrams: “Well, that ‘s turning out to be more than it seemed at the outset. Brown indicates the suspect is facing multiple charges.
- Volusia County, S.C. — Deputies respond to a report of a disturbance at residence and interact with an older couple who apparently are the complainants. Male provides a long explanation involving a dispute puppy transaction. Abrams quips that it is a “dog fight.”
- Beech Gove, Ind. – Officers make traffic stop in connection with a strangulation warrant. Passenger in the vehicle is wanted on the warrant.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop. Driver briefly flees before pulling over and is detained. Weed allegedly in car. Deputy describes it as a “simple traffic stop” but tells subject “now you’re going to jail anyway.” Driver allegedly has a warrant for larceny. Vehicle search. Captions: “Whizzinator found,” “Nobody beats the whiz.” Abrams: The “replica seems so lifelike.”
- Volusia County, Fla. — Motorcyclist who was allegedly in a group driving recklessly pulled over for a plate that is not sufficiently visible; released with no charges.
- Beech Grove, Ind. — Traffic stop at gunpoint at gas station; truck is reported stolen a few hours previous, although the situation might involve a stolen plate. Driver said he just bought vehicle. Two occupants detained. Drugs and paraphernalia allegedly found in vehicle search. Vehicle towed. Sgt. Joe Garrison: “Sounds like this vehicle may have been involved stealing a different car. So we’re gonna try to figure out what’s going on here.” Follow-up suggests it may not be a stolen vehicle, but officer explains that “but this one does has some issues with the VIN. The VIN on the dash is obliterated as well as some other places, so we’re not quite sure if the one VIN that we found is the right one, but one of the occupants had some meth amphetamine in his pocket, so he’s gonna go to jail for that. The other occupant is being released…”
- Berkeley County, S. C. (pre-recorded segment) — Traffic stop for defective equipment. Abrams: “Cpl. Cameron Blackmon had his hands full during a traffic stop.” Passenger bails; foot pursuit that culminates in a struggle with several deputies in wooded area before he is taken into custody. Gun, drugs, and cash allegedly found; subject allegedly has a warrant. Driver released.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — As part of a special response team, Sgt. Steve Zubkoff dispatched to the scene where a subject reportedly barricaded himself in a house. Zubkoff is called off that situation to assist elsewhere in a domestic incident in a motel parking lot. That situation is under control so he goes back into patrol.
Daytona Beach, Fla. — Det. Chris Maher interacts with a male and female on bicycles. Male allegedly was walking in the middle of the street.
- Volusia County, Fla. (pre-recorded segment) — Deputies investigate a road rage incident that according to Abrams, “continued well beyond the road.” Unruly male subject arrested on various charges. Commenting on another person who approached the deputies during the investigation, Co-host Curtis Wilson explains that “they’re not telling you you can’t watch or anything, stand at a distance, you can record all you want, but let them do their job.”
- Volusia County, Fla. — Traffic stop for what Deputy Whitson describes as an “obnoxious exhaust” that allegedly violates a state statute. Whitson: Driver is “clearly asking for attention, so we’re gonna five him some attention.” Out-of-state driver apparently has license in one state, but car is registered in another for tax or insurance reasons. Abrams: “If that ends up being all that he gets, I’m sure they’ll gonna let him go and say ‘be on your way.'” Whitson advises driver of state law that prohibits customizing a car’s exhaust system.
- Wanted segment -= Alameda County, Cal.
- Richland County, S.C. — Deputies respond to domestic incident at residence. Capt. Brown advises those residing in the home that they have to go to court and legally evict the subject if he lives there. He adds that they should call 911 if the subject returns tonight and causes a disturbance.
- Nye County, Nev. (pre-recorded segment) — Traffic stop at gunpoint on pick-up truck that is reported stolen. Driver is arrested on charges related to the vehicle and for an outstanding warrant. Passenger released.
- Daytona Beach, Fla. — Traffic stop on woman on bicycle. Push rods allegedly found.
- Daytona Beach Fla. — Sgt. Marcus Booth investigates vehicle stopped in the middle of the road with male and female occupants. Abrams claims that someone met someone “who is not a legitimate partner.” A skeptical Sgt. Booth admonishes them before having to head to another, more-priority call. Booth: “Obviously, we’re playing games here…she’s out here trying to make a little bit of money; he picked her up. So we’re gonna go ahead and run his [driver’s license] real quick; I’m gonna run her, check her name, all that good stuff. And at first, like you heard him say, that’s his sister. Then the story changed to he’s helping her out. ‘We call each other brother and sister.’ He’s trying to get her some food, trying to get this, trying to get that…”
Indicating that he wants to tell the occupants “what time it is,” Booth subsequently tells the driver “Here’s the deal. Unfortunately, I didn’t start yesterday, okay. And I’m going to another call, lest I’d be writing you a ticket, and I’d be writing her a ticket…you stopped in the middle of the road; that’s against the law.” Studio co-host Sean Larkin: “Sometimes you got to bounce away from something that’s not high up the scale to attend to something else that is.”
- Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (pre-recorded segment) — Officers respond to possible burglary in progress at abandoned house. They encounter a person inside who at first provides a somewhat convoluted explanation but then who flees, prompting a brief foot pursuit. Subject is arrested on multiple charges. Wilson: “Nosey neighbors — thumbs up to you.”
- Richland County, S.C. — Traffic stop for expired tags. Capt. Brown smells weed. Probable cause car search. Driver released with warning.
- Volusia County, Fla. — Deputy Jake Bissonnette assists colleagues with incident involving a fleeing motorcyclist. Driver already detained about 100 yards from where bike crashed. “You took a chance tonight, and you lost.” EMS summoned to the scene. Bissonnette: “He jacked his leg up a little bit. He was good enough to run from there to here, but now the adrenalin is probably wearing off, and I’m sure he’s probably hurting. So we have an ambulance coming over here for him now…well get him treated. He’s going to jail tonight for fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest.”
- Daytona Beach, Fla. — Male detained on sidewalk who apparently thinks it’s the year 2021 rather than 2023 and gives his age as 32 when he seems to be 35. Math discussion ensues. Captions: “In the year 2000…,’ “Abacus required.”
- Volusia County, Fla. — Traffic stop for tag light violation. Two adult occupants plus a baby. Driver says there is “a little weed” in car. Vehicle search. Ticket issued for light infraction. A gram or two of weed confiscated for disposal. Deputy Whitson: “Hopefully, he sees the bigger picture. He’s got a child now. Whatever marijuana cost, I feel like that money would be better spent on the child.”
- Richland County, S.C. — Capt. Brown comes upon a car stopped in the middle of the road. Driver says he is injecting insulin for diabetes that he forgot to take. Brown says he is good to go.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Deputies investigate neighbor vs. neighbor shooting allegation. They determine that it was a juvenile with a BB gun. Deputies advise complainant that there will be no criminal charges but they will document the incident if the complainant wants to take the matter to court.
- Berkeley County, S.C. (pre-recorded segment) — Deputies respond to report of brawl inside bar. Male subject arrested outside for disorderly conduct.
- Crime of the Night — Atlanta, Ga.
- Toledo, Oh. — Traffic stop for improper turn.
- Missing segment — Temple Hills, Md.
- Daytona Beach, Fla. — Traffic stop on bicyclist for allegedly running stop sign.
- Richland County, S. C. — Traffic stop on vehicle for allegedly violation of noise ordinance. Capt. Brown: “You were vibrating everybody back there.” Driver says it’s not him. Vehicle also has “super dark” tint on windows. Brown gives him the benefit of the doubt, and driver is released. “He turned it down; problem solved.”
- Berkeley County, S.C. — As show ends, Sgt. Zubkoff tracks speeding vehicle that is traveling at about 85 mph.
On Patrol: Live Summary for March 4, 2023 (#OPL Episode 01-62)
- Richland County, S.C. — K9 Specialist Kory Mayo assists other deputies and K9s in an extensive search on foot for stolen-car suspects who fled. Mayo at one point slips into the mud in a wooded area. Returning to the tracking effort later in the show, Mayo implies that the suspects had about a 20-minute head start before cops could set up an initial perimeter. “Really the only way we catch people is a good perimeter.” Reacting to that information, Abrams comments that “sounds like they are gonna put this on pause for now.”
- Toledo, Ohio — Cops rush to scene of a reported break-in at a building with a subject who may be suicidal.
- Volusia, County, Fla. — Deputies pursue fleeing vehicle. Subjects in custody before Deputy Bissonnette gets to the scene. Subject indicates the car was just purchased. Deputy Brady Bergeron mentions tag issue and that VIN allegedly doesn’t match car. Driver arrested for fleeing and eluding.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Traffic stop for swerving. Driver allegedly smells of alcohol; field sobriety testing. Driver arrested. According to Abrams, $7,000 cash confiscated. Cpl. Carli Drayton repeatedly asks a pedestrian she is interacting with, an apparent friend of the driver, to leave the area.
- Richland County, S.C. — Capt. Brown assists other deputies on a report of fights breaking outside movie theater in shopping mall.
- Wilkes-Barre, Pa. — Officers respond to a report of someone trespassing in the lobby of a nursing home. Officer Joe Benson encounters a man sleeping on a couch and eventually wakes him up. Officers transport man to police station where an ambulance is waiting. Abrams quips that “I had this terrible dream where I was in a nursing home and got arrested.”
- Daytona Beach, Fla. — Amidst a large Bike Week crowd, cops — including the Maher brothers — check VIN numbers on motorcycles to see if they are stolen. They find three stolen bikes, at least one of which has a scratched off VIN. One of the subjects allegedly was trying to hide a gun in saddlebag. Abrams: “There are 60 or so officers patrolling on Main Street, expecting 400 to 500,000 visitors there.” Commenting on the gun allegation, Larkin explains that “that’s the problem when you have events that have several hundred thousand people and only so many officers out there. So there’s only so many eyes we can have. They obviously can’t be aware of everything going on around them. But departments — we will use undercover officers that are in the crowd blending in, looking for things like that happening, as well, to pass that intel.”
- Beech Grove, Ind. — Cops investigate teens in parking lot supposedly “up to no good. Turns out they are just taking pictures of a new car, and one of the tens climbed up on a roof to get a better pic. Sgt. David Parker has a friendly chat with the duo about cars. The teens were presumably released with a warning.
- Wilkes-Barre, Pa. — Officers investigate a hit and run; parked truck appears damaged. Debris from other vehicle, a white sedan that presumably hit the truck, is on the ground. Officer Bill Wilk obtains information at the scene from a witness.
- Beech Grove, Ind. — At police station, Sgt. Parker interacts with family who is fostering the small dog injured in a previous episode. Abrams: “This is the little pooch, that Sgt. Parker had assisted, who had been hit by a vehicle, and named the dog Sticks” [which, as regular viewers know, is Larkin’s nickname]. Caption: “Sticks the dog.” The studio hosts then banter about the situation. Larkin: “They said the dog had a great personality, kind of fitting for myself…” Wilson: “Sticks is a TV star, and so are you.” Abrams: “The good news is that that is actually a foster family that’s gonna be taking care of that little pup…”
- Berkeley County, S.C. (pre-recorded segment) — Traffic stop after motorist nearly hits Cpl. BJ Nelson’s patrol car head on. Driver allegedly has suspended license and was allegedly texting behind the wheel. She passes field sobriety testing and is released with a written warning and a citation. Wilson: “The texting and driving –you got to watch that. No question about it. It can happen in just a matter of moments. Put your head down, talking on the phone, trying to grab something, hit something, in trouble.”
- Daytona Beach, Fla. — Officers respond to residence where an alligator bit a homeowner outside his home. A trapper is called to the scene. Sgt. Booth quips that stranger-danger could include alligator danger. He describes gator as about 7-8 feet long and “young and spry.” He chats with homeowner in ambulance and wishes him good luck before the latter is transported to the hospital. Victim appears to be okay. Booth advises homeowner to install sensor lights for outside the home. According to Booth, the homeowner “said that he thought someone was trying to sneak in to see their 17-year-old son. He opens the door and goes to reach for a light and that’s when he got tagged in the leg by the alligator. So, surprise surprise. He said he thought it was a dog. Lo and behold, it’s the old alligator.” Captions: “Gator-aid,” “See you later alligator.”
Upon arrival at the scene, the trapper euthanized gator, which led to an enormous response and debate on Twitter about purported animal cruelty vs. animal relocation, and whether the encounter should have been broadcast, just some of which is embedded below.
Host Abrams also posted an apologetic message in response to all the viewers who were triggered by the sequence. “FYI #OPNation we didn’t know the gator was going to be killed (I was waiting for the ‘trapper’) and I didn’t even know it was dead (as opposed to tranquilized) until officer on scene said so,” he explained, in part.
Check back for updates. [Scroll down for an update on the incident from the New York Post.]
Booth summarizes the culmination of the incident: “Due to the size and where it was located at, the trapper determined it was best to euthanize it here. Due to biting a person, it does create risk. Unfortunately, it’s a bummer; it sad, but we have to do something. This neighborhood is riddled with kids and animals, so, unfortunately, he dispatched him on scene and just the safest way to do things.”
Abrams: “I will admit, as a New York City boy, I have never seen something like that occur before. Curtis, you’re in South Carolina, plenty of gators there.” Wilson: “I haven’t seen that either.” Abrams: “It’s pretty rare. It happens, but it doesn’t happen all that often.” Larkin: “This is unfortunately a part of the job sometimes for law enforcement, animal control, and things like that, we do have to come out and put down either injured animals, violent dogs, things like that at times. I’ve never seen an alligator done; I don’t know what the device was he had in his hand. That thing was something else.”
- Toledo, Ohio — Officers canvas residential neighborhood upon a report of shots fired. No apparent injuries. Cops find bullet casings on ground and book the items into evidence for examination by the crime lab and for further investigation.
- Wilkes-Barre, Pa. — Officer Benson interacts with college-age male spotting smoking a cigar underneath a bridge. Benson warns the male, who lives nearby, that the area is not a safe place to hang out at night. Abrams: “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” Larkin: “Not a smoker myself, so I never had a desire to go under a bridge and hang out with trolls or whatever else is under there. Not me.”
- Beech Grove, Ind. (pre-recorded segment) — Officers respond to a business alarm at what appears to be a convenience store of some kind. Abrams: “Sgt. Brandon Shipley received a scoop about a possible burglary at an ice cream ship.” Front door and drive-through are busted out. They review security footage that shows two suspects who had already left before officers arrived. Area searched; K9d deployed. The duo is taken into custody.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Deputies respond to neighborhood disturbance. Woman and tow-truck driver argue over the drop fee after the driver connected her vehicle for parking on the grass, which is apparently prohibited by the lease agreement. A male bystander may or may not resemble the guy who was the pedestrian from the earlier incident. Drop fee is apparently $325. Cpl. Drayton: “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter to me if they pay it or don’t pay it or if it gets towed. What I’m trying to do is resolve this issue. For one, to move them out of the way, and two, to get everyone separated. So initially I gave them a chance to pay the $325; they didn’t seem to eager to pay at all, almost like they didn’t want to. I told them I can’t sit around all day; we’ve got lots of calls to get to. I can’t sit here and negotiate the amount of money they’re gonna pay the tow driver…they know the rules. You have to sign a leasing agreement that says what the rules are…so I guess now they’re gonna pay the money.”
- Richland County, S.C. — Capt. Brown interacts with couple sitting in a car in a closed parking lot. Brown: “I hate to break up your romantic thing.” He advises the couple to move to a safer location.
- Richland County, S.C. — Capt. Brown and ambulance respond to report of person slumped over in car with motor running and lights on in Walmart parking lot. Driver is awakened; EMS checks her out and determines that she just feel asleep. Brown indicates that the motorist was overtired: “Too much work probably. She’s coherent, she’s awake…she seems fine…glad it wasn’t an overdose or anything like that, just over-fatigue is probably what it is.” Brown also thanks Good Samaritan couple who were shopping at the store for calling 911 about the situation.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — Car search after a possible tag issue. Deputies have friendly conversation with occupants. Deputy Dylan Lee seems beguiled with a wig found during the car search. Occupants released with a warning; a bottle of alcohol poured out.
- Daytona Beach, Fla. (pre-taped segment) — Officers respond to report of unconscious person sitting in car in strip mall parking lot. Drug paraphernalia, and Narcan, allegedly found in vehicle. Motorist awakened and transported to local hospital.
- Wanted segment — Albuquerque, N.M.
- Toledo, Ohio — Traffic stop for window-tint issue. Three occupants. Loaded gun allegedly found on one of driver, a male age 19. He is arrested on firearms-related felony charges and issued ticket for window tint infraction. An occupant receives court summons related to warrants.
- Richland County, S.C. — Specialist Mayo provides backup for colleagues in vehicle pursuit after attempted traffic stop. Fleeing car crashed into a home; heavy police presence at the scene. Driver in custody. No one in the house is injured.
- Crime of the Night — Richland County, S.C.
- Berkeley County, S.C. — K9 Odin (who is not trained to alert on weed) deployed to circle SUV in traffic stop. K9 alert; probable cause search of vehicle. Female driver seems non-compliant and placed in handcuffed. Hard drugs allegedly found in car.
- Richland County, S.C. — Traffic stop for dark window tint, brake light issue, alleged slow pull over, and for allegedly quickly leaving a known drug area. Brown smells weed. Car search. Motorist’s “aggressive” put bull that Brown was concerned about turns out to be friendly. Driver released with warning.
- Wilkes-Barre, Pa. — Officer Wilk makes traffic stop on car for dark window tint and headlight out. Mother and daughter occupants. Mom, who is the passenger, is very chatty and seems exited to be on OPL.
- Toledo, Ohio — As show ends, cops investigate a possible drive-by shooting in residential area. Bullet holes in wall of home. One man inside appears to be wounded.
Disclaimer
The On Patrol: Live disclaimer that airs several times during each episode is embedded above.
Moreover, as the the Live PD disclaimer appropriately indicated during its run, and that still applies to the successor show, 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 On Patrol: Live, all suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law, as the current disclaimer reaffirms.
Further, please understand that the incidents aired on the show, and/or a description of same as briefly summarized in this blog, including but not limited to any arrests, constitute mere allegations. The content presented herein is for entertainment purposes only.
Initial assessments, commentary, opinions, or observations, which are sometimes irreverent, about the incidents made by the studio hosts or cops featured on On Patrol: Live — or anyone on Twitter or on another social media platform for that matter — may be incomplete and/or inaccurate. No endorsement of that content is intended or implied.
Pending Lawsuit
Parenthetically, A&E and the production company for On Patrol: Live, along with the Reelz channel, have lawyered up. Check back for updates on this pending case.
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