Justin, I promise you I will do everything in my power as a city council member to make sure these guys are defunded. There will be five police officers in this town because this is unbelievable that I have a this guy needs a backup officer to make sure I don't hurt him. >> On August 3rd, 2025, Smithfield, Utah police arrived at the home of city councilman Ted Stokes to investigate a car crash that Stoke's son had been involved in. His son had hit a parked car in the neighborhood right down the street from his house. The owner of the parked car wasn't home, so the boy's mother took him home to clean up his bloody nose while his father waited at the scene. When the owner arrived home, the father, Ted, spoke with the owner, gave him insurance information, and called his insurance to report the accident. Later, two Smithfield police officers arrived at Ted's house. What's up? >> Uh, which car was it? >> Well, no, you tell me what's up. You guys are in my house. >> Okay. I just told you I'm here to investigate an accident. I understand your son's been in an accident. Yeah. Tell me >> and that he was I'm doing that right now. >> Please. That's what you're supposed to do when you respond as an officer. Just tell people why you're here. >> So, he's asking you which car was it that was involved. >> Why are you here? >> He's asking you which car is involved. I want to know why there's two officers responding to such a simple thing. >> Cuz there can be >> we pay a lot of money for you guys in this city and I decide whether the budget's good or not. And so I think you should go patrol Main Street. >> Do your job and I'll talk to him and I'll deal with this. >> Okay. >> Go patrol. I'm not dangerous. >> Talk to him. >> Look guys, we paid so much money for this. >> Look, I decided >> Why don't you just hang out for a second? >> Go patrol Main Street. Make yourself useful. Come on, guys. >> Go patrol Main Street. Make yourself useful. Let's not waste taxpayer dollars. >> So, tell me what's going on. >> Come down here. I've got a family event going on. >> Okay, that's fair. I'm willing to do that. >> I want to know why you're even here. >> Because there I am obligated to invest. There's a car that's wrecked down there. >> Uh-huh. >> Yeah. >> And you have already talked to the guy and said that your son had run into his car. >> Yeah. And I gave him my insurance and I gave him everything and he and I we're already called and made an insurance report. State Farm's handling everything. >> Okay. And it's also over $1,500, >> so I need to >> It's gonna be his His car is total. Yeah. >> So, he called you. That's what you Yeah, that's all you needed to say. Hey. >> Yes, he called me. >> Yeah. See, see, this is the problem. And And I'm Your guys' lack of training blows my mind. >> It blows my mind. Hey, Ted, I'm here. There was an accident. The person who cares not step up on me. >> No. I'm telling I'm asking. No, no, no, no. telling you how you're supposed to do your job because you obviously don't know. Look, listen. Hey, Ted. The P the person that your son your son hit earlier has asked that I make a police report. I'm here to do that. Instead, you show up like you're an FBI agent doing some big secret thing. Like, who trained you? I want to know who trained you. >> Can I get your son's name? >> How old are you? >> Can I get your son's name? >> How old are you? >> Okay. >> How long have you been How long How long have you been impeded an investigation? >> No. Are you going to Are you Are Do you have a warrant to be here? >> I'm on public property right now. >> I'll cooperate with you, but you you >> I'm trying. >> No, no, no. You guys have got to learn how to do your job right. We are botching so many things in this city because of you guys. And you know that you're aware of everything and I'm aware of everything. >> Can I get your son's name? >> You can step onto my property. I will talk to you if you will be reasonable. Let's start the conversation over. >> Let's do it, >> please. >> Okay. >> Hi, my name is Ted Stokes. >> I am here because there was a complaint about your vehicle or your son hitting another vehicle >> and the vehicle looks like it's totaled. >> And the person who made the complaint was the person who owned the car. >> Yes. >> Okay, cool. We already talked to him. I'm happy to help you out. Okay. >> Yeah. But we need your Two responding officers. Yes. For a non-moving vehicle incident. And >> what's your son's state his driver's license? >> Yeah, sure. >> Do we need >> Will you go get it, Court? I don't have it. >> Does he need to come out here? >> No. We'll see what happens. >> Okay. Uh, can you tell me which vehicle it was? Yeah, it was that Honda Sonata right there. >> Okay. So, I do have his uh or I guess it's your insurance information. Does the car belong to you? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> I stayed there for half an hour. I waited for them to get home >> when they gave them their I don't have a problem being here. I have a problem with the approach to responding officers to this >> and and we we have we we probably have another action on Main Street right now. >> So, what's this one right here? I'm going to defund you guys. It's unbelievable. >> I can't believe that you guys are wast I can't believe you have him sitting there wasting tax dollars. Give me one good reason why he's there wasting tax dollars. I love that you want me to answer your questions, but you won't answer mine. He doesn't he doesn't dispute dispute fall like it's his fault. So, is your son okay? >> Yeah, he I think he might have broke his phone. Hey, Justin. Ted Stokes. Hey, I've got I've got two police officers at my house. This is the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen. Tucker hit a non-moving car on a road. We gave the insurance 1027 by number. >> Everything was good. I think he called to make a report just to make it fine. Two officers show up at my house, walk up to my front door. >> 247 118. >> Don't tell me anything other than we're here to do an investigation and the other officer is still sitting here as backup. Like this is Justin. I'm sorry, but >> sorry 1099. >> This can't happen, Dad. >> Like this other officer needs to leave and stop making needs to go. >> Yes. Correct. >> Finally give a report to this, but he like he wouldn't even tell me like he it wasn't like, "Hey, Ted, we're here. It's It's Officer Hansen. I'm I'm I'm blown away by this, Justin. I promise you, I will do everything in my power as a city council member to make sure these guys are defunded. There will be five police officers in this town cuz this is unbelievable that I have a this guy needs a backup officer to make sure I don't hurt him at my house for for for my son hitting a car non-moving. I waited a half an hour at the guy's house to give him his his insurance policy. I'm fine with him making a police report. I'm blown away by the fact that right in the middle of my Sunday dinner, my daughter's birthday party with five other or five other cars here for guests, I've got 40 people at my house for a birthday party. I've got two I've got two officers at my house and this guy's >> Can I talk to Who's the other officer? >> Mcome. >> Mcome. >> I've got Hansen and Mcome. This is unbelievable. Like get on Main Street the other officer and make go patrol. Instead, they're making sure city councilman Stokes doesn't do something like I don't know if this is retaliatory or what because I didn't vote. Like, it better not be. I'm telling you, Justin, like this is this is over. This is the last straw. I' I've got two two officers out in front of my house with four people in my house celebrating a birthday party. And he couldn't even tell me why he was here other than he was to investigate a car accident that he acted like we had done a hit and run for. Like that. That's how he approached me. He didn't say, "Hey, Ted, guess what? Like, some guy wants to make a report. We're here to do it. We understand you gave him your insurance information. Thanks for doing that. But we're obligated to make a I'm fine with that. You should have seen this guy approach. Actually, I'll send you the ring footage. You will be blown away by this. I I don't know what to say, Justin. But but that's this is the last straw. I know I've expressed my complaints, but this is it. This is the last straw. They're both here cuz he's afraid I'm going to jump him. I I I I approached him to talk to me. He says, "You you need to back up off of me. Back up off me. We should I'm standing here talking to you with a Sharpie in my hand. You think I'm going to hurt you? These guys are so untrained, Justin. It blows my mind. I am done. Like I don't know if there's a way to amend amend the budget now, but I want to amend it and I'm going to talk. I'm going to call the other council members tonight. I'm going to tell them exactly what happened and we are amending it. Like we are going to five officers. This is it. We need two officers on duty in the morning. We need two officers on duty in the afternoon. We need one officer on duty at night. This is the most unbelievable thing I have ever seen. Tell me when you can talk in the morning. Go enjoy your Sabbath. I need to talk to you first thing in the morning. This is This is unbelievable. All right. Well, let's talk about it in the morning. I I'm sorry, Justin. Like, I know like Justin, this is culminating like the I've got other stories I could tell you. Last week, an officer an officer pulled someone over or in front of just just in front of the in the the intersection of of Spring Creek Fitness or what's it called? Summit Creek Fitness. The guy pulled over like right past the intersection. The guy was an idiot, right? He pulled over like 5 feet past the intersection. So, our officer parked right in the middle of the intersection and no one could make a left-hand turn or a right-hand turn or go straight through a Main Street intersection for like 30 minutes while this guy did his stop. What would you have done, Justin, if you were the officer in that situation? Tell me what you would have done. You would have you would you would have got out of the car. or you would have gone up and said, "Hey, can you pull 20 ft forward so I can pull in behind you?" But no, no, no. We parked the officer parked smack dab in the middle of the intersection and sat there and did his 20-minut stop. And I have pictures of it. I have pictures. I have videos. Like, Justin, we cannot fund this because it's not worth our money. These guys have no idea what they're doing. >> Oh, I'll take a picture. You can see both their trucks pulled up right here to handle this issue. I am I am done. Like this is the last straw. It is the last straw. I am done with these guys. I I I'm embarrassed. I'm flat out embarrassed. I get a ticket 3 weeks ago for rolling through a stop sign at 7:00 a.m. and and the officer says, "Sorry, I had to do it." Turns out I find out him and him and him and him and the chief are giving each other high fives the next Monday. Justin, I've got three officers in the force who tell me everything. I know everything that's going on. Like I am done with this. Like it's it's done. Well, I I want I'll talk to you I'll talk to you tomorrow morning. We there there's changes have to happen or there's going to be problems. Thanks. Bye. >> Okay. So, does your son need medical attention? >> No, he he I think he hurt he was bleeding his nose pretty bad. We handled it. But like, you know, we're competent parents. If he needed medical attention, we would take care. >> But you think he might have broke it? >> I don't know. We're going to go check it out tomorrow and see. Like, we would we would we would handle that, right? Tell me why you think I couldn't handle my son's medical attention. >> Think he can. >> Don't Isn't that my Isn't that my It's not a right. It's my legal obligation. >> But it's your right to be able to >> It's my right and my legal obligation. So So yeah. >> Okay. Uh can I talk to him? >> What What do you need to talk to him for? >> Just to find out what >> I can tell you what happened. He had city you he had he had steak youth council. He's on a youth council for the church. Okay. >> He pulled out of the steak center. They gave them muffins uh chocolate muffins. You can see him on the front seat. They spilled. >> He set the muffin on the seat and he was going to eat it when he got home cuz he's fasting and we were going to eat dinner at 5. >> And he set it down and the muffin fell down onto the carpet. You can see where the the frosting like got on the carpet. He bent down to pick it up which he shouldn't have done and he set it back up on the seat. When he looked up he kind of veered off this guy. Yeah, I have a sister that years and years ago >> did the almost the exact same thing. >> Bent over, grabbed the steering wheel, went across the road. Luckily, he went this way instead of into oncoming traffic. >> Grateful though, no one was in the car. He's okay. He has a bloody nose. We'll look at it tomorrow and make sure it's not broken. >> Okay. Do you know if he was wearing his seat belt? >> He was. >> Do you know how fast he was going? >> I don't think I asked him. He said, "Dad, I pulled out of the the the thing and I had let off the gas cuz I'm going downhill anyways." He turns left at that intersection. The car got pushed about 15 feet, 10 to 15 ft. He turns left right there. So, he wouldn't be going too fast cuz he knows he's turning left right there. >> He should have turned left, but he bent over to get the muffin and >> Gotcha. >> hit it. >> Okay. Uh, at this point I just need to fill out the the witness state or not the witness statement but the accident exchange form. I mean it that way both of you have the exact same information >> so that you can contact your insurance company. >> I already did contact I gave him our insurance. I hope he did too. >> I don't have a problem with you making a report. >> It's two officers and it's the approach. >> Blows my mind, man. >> Okay. I >> can we just >> I don't feel like I >> Yeah. No, you need to you need to you need to you need to handle that better. You need to say, "Hey, I heard your son was in an accident. Someone asked me to come make a report." And I would say, "Oh, was it the guy who got hit?" Instead, you come up to me like you're doing an FBI and gets not getting into that cuz I tried to be friendly. >> I tried to be the entire time. >> No. >> Tried to be friendly with you the entire time. I tried to strike up a conversation. >> Why are there two officers here? >> Justin's Justin's blown away. There is a vehicle that No say and that that's what you said too. I forgot about you said hey there's a vehicle that's been to that's been total on a on a roadside as if we hit and run it. That's how you approached me. >> I until I get here I don't know the full circumstance. >> I don't >> the person who called didn't say >> I'm going to start working on work so that I don't waste more time. >> Let's finish this officer hand. Let's finish this conversation. Hey. >> Okay, >> let's finish this. You said you didn't I'm going to do paperwork. Stop. Stop. Listen to me. >> Going to do the paperwork away from the conversation that you're up. Did you know you look Hey, >> you said listen. You said I didn't know the whole situation. What What report did you receive? >> What do you mean? >> What were the words that the dispatch person told you? >> It's all on written records. >> So, no. No, you tell me. >> It's all I'm going to do. >> Why won't you just tell me? >> This is what I hate about you guys. The lack of transparency. >> Okay. lack of transparency, all the bull crap. Like, it's done. Like, I'm sorry. You guys dug your own grave. >> Okay. >> It's unbelievable. >> Hey, Justin wants that other officer on Main Street. >> Okay. >> Go send him. >> Okay. Okay. You got a second. >> You're good. Come on up. >> I'm I'm okay, man. >> Thank you, though. Uh, so this is the accident exchange form. It has your the case number. It also has both of your insurance information that's on there. Some of it looks like I haven't put it in, but it's redacted. >> I understand. >> So that >> I don't need his. Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. >> So, what you'll need to do, like you've It sounds like you've already done it. Contact your insurance company. That's what they'd be looking for. Cool. >> Do you have any questions? >> No. >> Okay. >> Uh do you want to fill out a witness statement or anything or does your son >> No, we're good. It's his fault. >> We didn't That's why we waited for 30 minutes for him to get home. >> I gave it to him. That's why we took care of it. I I expected someone might show up just to make a police report because sometimes the insurancees want that. I just expected it. I didn't expect two officers. I didn't expect that approach. >> I Yeah, I had a second officer following me up here. >> It's unfortunate. >> So anyway, have a better day. See you. >> Now, I'd like to share with you my extremely unpopular opinion about this situation. Now, first off, I don't disagree at all with most of these comments on the original video posted by KSL News in Utah. The comments say things like, "I don't know how this cop stayed so calm while dealing with this pompous, arrogant jerk." Another comment says, "He was the bully in high school who still hasn't grown up. What an arrogant ass." But here's my unpopular opinion, which I would bet you this councilman, the police, and everyone involved in this situation, as well as everyone watching, will probably disagree with me on. I don't think that government should get involved in anything or be involved in any situation unless there is absolutely positively no other way in the world to resolve this situation. I don't think the guy who called the police had any malicious intent at all. I think he's just like everybody else in society who's just been trained and brainwashed to believe that we must involve government in every situation. What we have here is a person, the councilman's son, damaged someone else's property. intentional or unintentional, he owes restitution to make the person that he harmed whole. That's what giving the insurance information does. There's a lot of jurisdictions in the US where police won't even show up to non-injury accidents because even they've started to realize that in most minor car accident situations, it's completely unnecessary. Again, what has to happen is restitution needs to be made to the harmed individual. If that can be done without involving government, government should not be involved. Smithfield City, Utah has an incredibly low crime rate in comparison to the rest of the US. They also have very few cops per capita compared to other places with only one officer per every thousand residents. Most places with a similar population have two to three times as many officers per capita. The fact that they have so few cops and still so little crime is a good sign to me that this community probably polices itself very well without government involvement. I think rather than Americans constantly trying to pride themselves on how well their government operates or how well their police take care of them, it would be good to see Americans pride themselves on how well they can operate without their government. How well they can take care of each other without their police. How well they can work together as a community voluntarily rather than through the force of government.