The Cody Police Department is in the crosshairs of social media scrutiny.
On Sunday, May 21, the channel LackLuster uploaded the video “Dash Cam Proves Cop Wrong – Case Dismissed,” featuring footage of a traffic stop conducted by Officer Blake Stinson.
LackLuster is a YouTube channel that seeks “to keep all public officials accountable.” Started by a combat veteran and former firefighter & paramedic with the Los Angeles Fire Department, the channel has 929,000 subscribers and 558 million views on its videos.
Since law enforcement officers are “the most conspicuous form of government,” most of the channel’s videos are footage from dashboard and police body cameras showing officers getting into altercations. Most videos also include commentary from the channel’s creator.
“Abolish Qualified Immunity, end the police unions, and require personal liability insurance for all LEOs,” the channel’s description reads.
LackLuster’s video chronicles a traffic stop initiated by Cody Police Officer Blake Stinson on January 24, 2023. A vehicle making a left turn onto 10th Street near Cody High School was pulled over after failing to yield to a pedestrian crossing Beck Avenue.
When Officer Stinson approaches the vehicle, he asks for the driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance. The driver identifies themself as a minor and called his mother, saying he could not locate the documents. The driver also says they are “not inclined to speak to (the officer) without a parent present.”
Officer Stinson then demands the driver exit the vehicle, saying he smells the order of marijuana coming from the vehicle.
“You’re gonna get out of the vehicle right now, or I’m going to drag you out. You decide,” Stinson says.
Tempers rise when the driver doesn’t get out, saying his mother is coming and reiterating that it’s their right to have a parent or lawyer present. Officer Stinson disagrees, and the driver is forcibly removed from the vehicle by Stinson and another Cody Police officer.
Marijuana and nicotine products were found in the vehicle during an inspection. As a result, the underage driver was charged with interference with a peace officer and possession of a controlled substance.
When the driver’s mother arrives on the season, she says Stinson “follows this kid all the time.” She says Stinson once “followed (the driver) for miles down Big Horn Avenue for no reason whatsoever,” which another officer says is “perception.”
On May 17, the charges against the underage driver were dismissed.
Officer Stinson tells the assisting officers that the driver “almost hit someone in the crosswalk.” The video’s commentary says he “embellishes” the incident so he has “valid legal justification or reasonable suspicion.” Any evidence or statements gathered from the traffic stop would be inadmissible in court without justification.
LackLuster includes a link to the Cody Police Department Facebook page in the video’s description. Many social media accounts of this type indirectly encourage their followers to contact law enforcement agencies, which can lead to “call-flooding” – overwhelming a call center with dozens of phone calls. Several people have already posted the video in the comments of the department’s profile photo.
Nearly everyone who commented on the video – which had nearly 280,000 views and over 4,600 comments Monday morning – condemned Officer Stinson and his actions. Many resort to ad hominem attacks, saying Stinson is “a psychopath,” “a stalker,” and “a blueline gangmember.”
The Cody Police Department was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
