A routine traffic stop escalated unexpectedly after a driver was detained and ultimately arrested for actions that began with flashing his headlights to warn oncoming motorists of a radar patrol, according to a recorded exchange circulating online.
In the video, the deputy confronts the driver, calling the act of flashing headlights “pretty stupid” and insisting it is illegal to “beam people at any time in the daytime or night.” The driver questions whether warning others of law enforcement activity constitutes a crime, but the deputy asserts he can “articulate some other kind of driving charge” to justify the stop.
The deputy also tells the driver that he issues “an average of two citations a day” and suggests he is “going to look into” whether the act of flashing headlights is illegal. He later claims the driver could be jailed for having an unsigned vehicle registration card — stating the infraction carries “up to six months in jail.”
When the driver laughs in apparent disbelief, the deputy challenges him, asking, “You think it’s funny, sir?” Moments later, the deputy orders the driver out of the car, informs him he is being detained, and places him under arrest. The driver asks, “You’re arresting me for laughing?” as he is handcuffed.
The incident has sparked questions online about the legality of flashing headlights, the scope of police discretion during traffic stops, and whether the deputy’s actions were justified.
