Viewers’ confusion over which law enforcement unit was responding prompted Hope Police Department and the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office to put out statements making clear their officers did not execute the stop.

Excerpts of the video that starts with the confrontation between the trooper and the driver, not showing the alleged traffic violations, have been posted on social media, drawing many derogatory comments about the trooper.  

On Sunday July 27th at 7:59 a.m, the Hope Police Department posted a statement on its Facebook page: “The Hope Police Department is aware of a Tik tok video circulating online, that some of you may have found disturbing. The traffic stop in the video was not conducted by the Hope Police Department or its officers.”  The posting received 274 comments and 45 shares as of Tuesday evening.

James Singleton, Hempstead County Sheriff, also made a posting on his office’s own Facebook page Monday at 1:14 p.m, which reads as follows: 

“The Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of public concern involving a recent traffic stop that reportedly hindered a woman attempting to get her dog to the veterinarian. 

“Allegations circulated suggesting that a deputy with the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office was involved in the stop.

“After a thorough review, including examination of dash and body camera footage, we can confirm that no deputy with the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office was involved in the traffic stop in question.

“The stop was in fact conducted by a member of the Arkansas State Police, as clearly evidenced in the video footage.

“We take all public concerns seriously and strive to maintain transparency and accountability. We appreciate the public’s diligence in bringing concerns to our attention and encourage everyone to verify facts before placing blame on any agency or individual.

“Should any member of the community have questions or concerns, we are always available to discuss them openly and respectfully.”

That posting received 157 comments and 28 shares.  

As of today, the video continues to circulate, an excerpt of it without the running of the red light or the near-collision was posted Tuesday afternoon to a subreddit group called r/TikTokCringe and has gathered hundreds of responses.

According to the Arkansas Highway Safety Office’s Toward Zero Deaths website, turning on the hazard lights on civilian vehicles is “not permitted while driving except to indicate a traffic hazard.”  The site continues, “Please, we ask that you use your headlights only if you are traveling on the roadway. If you must pull to the shoulder, you can activate your hazard lights.”  This statement appears to be based on state law regarding the use of blinking lights on vehicles.