Two Cops One Donut
by Sgt. Erik Lavigne
Two Cops One Donut is where policing, criminal justice, accountability, and public safety get discussed without the usual echo chamber. Hosted by Erik Lavigne, a working police sergeant with 20 years of law enforcement experience, TCOD brings together cops, attorneys, criminal justice professionals, critics, content creators, and people with firsthand experience to have the conversations that don't fit into a 30-second clip. We talk police accountability, use of force, constitutional rights, police technology, training, criminal justice reform, court decisions, controversial encounters, and the policies shaping modern law enforcement. The goal isn't to defend cops at all costs, and it isn't to bash them either. When police get it right, we'll say so. When they get it wrong, we'll talk about that too. And when an issue lives somewhere in the gray area, that's usually where the best conversation begins. You don't have to agree with the host or the gu
Episodes
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Police Gone Wrong? Bodycam, Bad Stops & a Deadly Boat PewPew
When does a police encounter become an unlawful detention? Can officers take your legally carried firearm during a traffic stop? And what happens when a routine investigation turns into a deadly pewpew aboard a stolen boat? In this episode of Two Cops One Donut, Sgt. Erik Lavigne is joined by...
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20 Punches: Did the Auburn Officer Cross the Line?
A police officer throws approximately 20 punches at a resisting suspect during an arrest in Auburn, Washington. The video sparked outrage, but does the newly released bodycam footage change the story? In this episode of Two Cops One Donut, Sgt. Erik Lavigne breaks down the controversial...
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Alex Rosen: What Cops Get Wrong About Predator Stings
Why does a predator sting sometimes end with the suspect walking away? Alex Rosen of Predator Poachers joins Erik Lavigne, Banning Sweatland, and Zoel “Red Dog” Murphy on Two Cops One Donut to discuss what happens between a confrontation on camera and a criminal prosecution. Alex explains how he...
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Can Cops Take Your Gun During a Traffic Stop? | Just Because They Can Doesn’t Mean They Should
Can police temporarily disarm a lawfully armed citizen during a traffic stop? Under the right circumstances, yes. But lawful authority is not a blank check, and “officer safety” cannot become a universal answer every time a firearm is present. In this episode, Erik responds to a Texas police...
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Handcuffs And Hammer Fists
A viral Milwaukee police video shows officers taking a handcuffed man to the ground and striking him during a traffic stop. At first glance, the footage looks bad. Then more context emerges: police say the man was armed, the firearm was in the front pocket of his sweatshirt, and officers believed...
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Mena Police Use of Force, Qualified Immunity & Bodycam Breakdowns | TCOD Crew Live
What happens when a father searching for his missing child ends up on the receiving end of police use of force? In this episode of Two Cops One Donut, Sgt. Erik Lavigne is joined by Justin Yarborough of The Donut Shop Podcast and Tom Gandy of The War Locker Show for an unfiltered conversation…
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Benn Jordan & a Cop: Can We Trust Police Surveillance?
A license plate camera can help police find a stolen car. What happens when that same technology is used to look up an ex, follow someone’s movements, or expose information that was supposed to stay protected? Benn Jordan joins Erik Lavigne, Matt Thornton, Banning Sweatland, and Zoel “Red Dog”...
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JiDion’s Sting: Why Let Him Go? A Cop Breaks Down the Police Response
A serious allegation involving someone believed to be a 13-year-old. A confrontation at a Pennsylvania police station. A fist bump, a man allowed to leave, and a response that left people asking: what just happened? In this solo episode of Two Cops One Donut, Erik Lavigne examines JiDion’s...
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Deputy Fired: Natasha Lopez on Her Arrest and Alleged Retaliation
The deputy who arrested her has been fired. For Natasha Lopez, the fight is far from over. Natasha joins Sgt. Erik Lavigne on Two Cops One Donut following news that Cherokee County, Georgia, deputy Charles Mills was terminated. In this candid conversation, she recounts the home entry, her...
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Deputy Accused of Pursuing a 17-Year-Old High School Student
Who is checking the person who can look you up? In this solo episode of Two Cops One Donut, Erik Lavigne examines two separate Pinellas County cases involving former deputies accused of misusing law-enforcement databases for personal reasons. The discussion begins with allegations against Travis...
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He Thought She Was 12? Is 10 Years Enough for a Former Texas Trooper?
He thought she was 12. He wore a badge. Is ten years enough? Former Texas DPS trooper Christian Estrada pleaded guilty after attempting to entice someone he believed was a 12-year-old girl into sexual activity. The supposed child was an undercover decoy. His sentence: ten years in federal prison,...
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Qualified Immunity: Protecting Good Cops or Shielding Bad Ones? | Brandon Grable
Qualified immunity is one of the most misunderstood and controversial doctrines in American policing. Does it actually protect good officers making reasonable decisions, or has it become a barrier that keeps legitimate civil-rights claims from ever reaching a jury? In this episode of Two Cops One...
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Natasha Lopez: Police Authority and Accountability
A disputed home entry. An obstruction arrest. Then allegations that the arresting deputy targeted the homeowner online. What happened to Natasha Lopez, and what should police accountability look like when a citizen’s complaint becomes personal? Sgt. Erik Lavigne examines the Cherokee County,...
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His Tesla Changed the Case: Police Assumptions & Bodycam Gaps
Police thought he was fleeing. His Tesla footage helped tell a different story. Could the situation have been sorted out before it became a nearly two-year criminal case? On this solo episode of Two Cops One Donut, Erik Lavigne examines Kevin Finley’s Winter Springs, Florida, arrest and…
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Can You Trust the Story? Patrick Carr on Police, Media & Accountability
Patrick Carr of The Patrick Carr Show joins Two Cops One Donut for a long-form conversation about police, media, accountability, transparency, and how the public decides which version of a story to trust. Lance Fisher of Thin Blue Lie Audits joins as guest co-host alongside regular co-hosts Zoel...
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Who Checks the Jail? The Bubba Blair Case
What happens when the government takes complete control over someone's basic needs and the safeguards meant to protect that person fail? In this episode of Two Cops One Donut, Sgt. Erik Lavigne examines the death of Gary “Bubba” Blair, who died while being held at the Chesterfield County…
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Rank or Accountability
A badge can start a conversation, but it can’t end it. We spend this morning digging into two stories that look unrelated on the surface and land in the exact same place: authority without oversight always turns into a trust problem. First, we break down a report out of Bloomington, Illinois…
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Jailed on a Face Match? Who Checks the Evidence?
Nearly six months in jail. Charges dismissed. Now a federal lawsuit. How does an investigation get that far without somebody stopping to check the evidence? On this episode of Two Cops One Donut, Erik Lavigne breaks down Angela Lipps’ lawsuit against Fargo and a detective after a facial…
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Arrested for a Facebook Post? Police Power, Bad Orders & Accountability
hat meaA Facebook post about drinking water leads to a felony arrest. The charge gets dropped. Now the police department is facing a state-ordered shutdown. What went wrong, and does “I was following orders” explain any of it? On this episode of Two Cops One Donut, Erik Lavigne breaks down the...
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Cop Shared Her Location? Flock Misuse and Police Accountability
She reported domestic violence. An officer allegedly used police technology to help the relative she accused find her. How do you rebuild trust after something like that? On this episode of Two Cops One Donut, I break down the reported San Jose Flock misuse case and explain why “we fired him”...
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Secret Recordings And Police Accountability
A whistleblower story gets messy fast when the method becomes the headline. We break down the LAPD Daniel Flores case, where an officer reportedly recorded coworkers in a background investigations unit making racist, sexist, and homophobic remarks, then faced criminal charges tied to those...
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Filming Police: Unlawful Arrests, Officer Ego & Accountability
What happens when the people enforcing the law are the ones crossing the line? Sergeant Erik Lavigne joins retired Detective Matt Thornton and retired Atlanta officer Zoel “Red Dog” Murphy for an audience-driven episode of Two Cops One Donut. Together, they review police encounters, challenge...
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Can You Be Trespassed From a Public Library? First Amendment Auditors vs. the Law
Can a public library legally trespass you if you haven’t committed a crime? And if the library wants you gone, how far does a responding police officer have to investigate before enforcing that decision? In this episode of Two Cops One Donut, Sgt. Erik Lavigne breaks down a viral interaction...
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Do Cops Get a Pass? Police Accountability and Double Standards
Police officers get arrested, fired, and sent to prison. So why do so many people still believe cops get a pass? In this live episode of Two Cops One Donut, Erik Lavigne examines both sides of the police accountability debate with real cases and questions from the audience. We discuss outcomes…
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Cop Goes Head-On: Hero or Reckless?
A cop deliberately goes head-on with a wrong-way driver on the highway. Was he protecting other drivers or taking an unnecessary risk? I called this officer a hero. In this episode, I explain why, address the strongest criticism of his decision, and consider what realistic alternatives he had in...
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Arrested for What? When Police Ego Meets Your Rights
A camera, a refusal to answer questions, and an arrest for “criminal loitering.” What justified taking this man’s freedom? Police Sergeant Erik Lavigne breaks down footage from First Amendment Protection Agency and explains why he believes the officers crossed the line. Drawing on nearly 20 years...
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Miami Auditor Detention Breakdown
“Because I wanted to.” That’s the explanation a Miami police officer gives when asked why he put two men in the back of his patrol car. What began as an exchange over blocking traffic escalated into demands for ID and handcuffs. Was this about enforcing the law, or an officer who couldn’t handle...
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Cops Arrest Them. Then What?
“Arrested again” is one of those phrases that instantly triggers a hot take. We slow it down and trace the real path from cuffs to court, because the gap between arrest and release is where most people’s assumptions live. I’m a working police sergeant, and I’m not interested in easy villains. I...
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He Lost Both Legs and Returned to Policing | Roberto Ortiz
He lost both legs. His commitment to serve never changed. Roberto Ortiz joins Two Cops One Donut for a conversation about policing in Mexico, surviving catastrophic injuries, rebuilding his life, and choosing to continue serving. During a police operation in April 2022, Roberto was struck by a...
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Flock Cameras: Are Police Using Fear to Win Public Support?
Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers can help police solve serious crimes fast. But when police leaders defend that technology by warning citizens about murdered loved ones, kidnapped children, missing family members, or crimes that supposedly will not be solved without it, the...
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They Shot The Donkey But The Sign Did It
A single road sign might not look like much, until a judge treats it as the line between lawful speech and criminal trespass. We walk through the Long Island Audit conviction step by step, focusing on the part that actually decides the case: implied license and whether a “Private Road” warning is...
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Ask Me Anything Morning Chat
Ticket quotas, qualified immunity, pretext stops, and “fishing” are the kinds of policing topics that usually get reduced to slogans. We slow it down and talk through what actually happens in the real world, why certain incentives push officers toward certain behaviors, and where the line is...
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Morning Chat
You can feel it right away: I’m running on “couldn’t sleep” energy, and we end up having one of those raw, wide-ranging morning talks that only happens when the chat is fully engaged. We start with the reality of being an active-duty police officer who also runs a public show. That means…
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Dancing TikTok Cops And Other Ways To Ruin Court
Surveillance tech can find a stolen car in minutes and it can also build a map of innocent people’s daily lives, so where’s the line? We start with a behind-the-scenes look at real-time crime centers (RTCC) and what actually happens inside them, from pulling CAD history and RMS reports to…
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Abolish The Police? Retired REDDOG Zoel Murphy
A retired Atlanta Police Sergeant shows up with a sentence that stops the room: “We don’t need the police anymore.” Then he does the harder thing, he explains exactly why he believes that and what he thinks should replace the current system. Zole “Red Dog” Murphy joins us from Vietnam to unpack a...
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Criminal Trespass Warnings Without Forced Identification
The fastest way a normal call turns into a constitutional mess is when someone treats paperwork like it’s the law. We start with the obsession over ID during a criminal trespass warning and lay out the plain-English difference between a civil warning and a criminal investigation. If there’s no...
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Damon Darling vs Walmart
A Walmart ban sounds simple until you watch it collide with the Fourth Amendment on a public roadway. We dig into the Damon Darling traffic stop and the bigger legal question underneath it: when a private business wants you gone, who has to tell you, when does it become criminal trespass, and…
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Jay Bandy: Beyond The Thin Blue Line
A rookie cop makes one stupid decision off duty and it follows him for years. Then he becomes the kind of voice the internet rarely expects: blunt about police mistakes, serious about constitutional rights, and willing to say “cops need to do better” without turning it into cop-bashing content....
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Arkansas Trooper Punch, Tesla Autopilot & Lindsay Clancy | Impromptu Live
An impromptu Two Cops One Donut livestream covering three stories generating a lot of conversation. We break down the viral incident involving an Arkansas State Trooper and an 18-year-old woman, including use of force, what the video appears to show, and the difference between what looks bad and...
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Former Blackwater: Morgan Lerette
“Blackwater” gets used as shorthand for everything people fear or fantasize about in modern war, but the real work was often simpler and darker: move a diplomat through Baghdad and make sure they come back alive. We sit down with Morgan Lorette, a former Blackwater contractor, and trace the whole...
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Sean Lozano Breaks His Silence
A lot of people want “police reform,” but they argue about the loudest moments and ignore the everyday mechanics that actually decide whether a community feels safe or targeted. We sit down with Sean Lozano, a Florida cop turned political operative and now a candidate for lieutenant governor, to...
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Enough To Detain
A car sits at a gas pump a little too long and suddenly it is surrounded. That single moment raises the question everyone argues about online: was this a smart proactive police stop, or an unlawful detention that should never happen in the first place? We walk through the clip step by step and...
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The Thin Blue Lie: Deputy Chief Fisher
A retired deputy chief turns whistleblower and suddenly the whole system reacts. Lance Fisher joins us to explain what pushed him from command staff into public accountability work, what he saw in body camera footage and citizen complaints, and why leadership failures at the top can quietly shape...
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How Online Predators Groom Kids On Snapchat And Roblox
Your kid doesn’t need to “meet a stranger” anymore to be targeted. A single friend request, a few minutes of flattery, and one impulsive photo can turn into financial sextortion, threats to expose them to classmates, and a level of shame most adults underestimate. We sit down with Seth, a Texas...
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The Badge Shouldn't Be A Reset Button | The Gray Area
In this episode of The Gray Area, we ask a uncomfortable question: Can a badge become a reset button? We break down how officers can leave one agency under a cloud, resign during an investigation, or get fired for serious misconduct — then later end up wearing another badge somewhere else. This...
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Long Island Audit Sean Reyes Live! Arrested By A PBA President?
A police union headquarters. A journalist with a camera. A simple request for comment. Then a trespass arrest happens while the person is still walking away. That’s where our conversation with Sean Paul Reyes, aka Long Island Audit, starts and it gets uncomfortable fast in the way accountability...
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TCOD x Southern Drawl Law: Senatobia Case Breakdown
A diaper shoplifting allegation should never end with a one-year-old dead, but that is exactly why we felt we had to talk about Senatobia, Mississippi. We sit down with James White from Southern Draw Law, a former cop and attorney who has spent years breaking down police accountability cases with...
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Did Defunding the Police Actually Work? | The Gray Area
We ask whether “defund the police” improved public safety and land on a tougher answer: the slogan fails as a plan but succeeds as a warning sign about trust and broken systems. We argue that America keeps treating police as the default response to every social crisis, then blames them when the...
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Officer Safety Isn’t a Blank Check | The Gray Area
Officer safety is real, but it cannot be used as a catch-all excuse to control people, skip professionalism, or erase constitutional rights. We lay out what “specific facts” should look like in the real world and why the biggest skill is knowing the difference between danger and discomfort. •...
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Modern Policing Reality Check
A lot of people talk about “how policing has changed,” but we get specific, from the pre-body-cam days to the modern reality where every call can turn into a viral clip and every mistake gets replayed in slow motion. I walk through what the job looked like when I started, why body-worn cameras...
About this show
Two Cops One Donut is where policing, criminal justice, accountability, and public safety get discussed without the usual echo chamber.
Hosted by Erik Lavigne, a working police sergeant with 20 years of law enforcement experience, TCOD brings together cops, attorneys, criminal justice professionals, critics, content creators, and people with firsthand experience to have the conversations that don't fit into a 30-second clip.
We talk police accountability, use of force, constitutional rights, police technology, training, criminal justice reform, court decisions, controversial encounters, and the policies shaping modern law enforcement.
The goal isn't to defend cops at all costs, and it isn't to bash them either.
When police get it right, we'll say so. When they get it wrong, we'll talk about that too. And when an issue lives somewhere in the gray area, that's usually where the best conversation begins.
You don't have to agree with the host or the gu
Hosted by
Sgt. Erik Lavigne
Categories