Two Cops One Donut
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 guests to have a seat at the table.
Two Cops One Donut exists to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the communities they serve through honest conversation, transparency, accountability, and perspectives you don't normally hear together.
New interviews, discussions, and livestream conversations explore the issues affecting policing and the criminal justice system today.
Listen. Challenge us. Join the conversation. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent their respective employers or organizations.
Episodes
287 episodes
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 Lavig...
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 o...
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 ca...
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 reas...
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 u...
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 ...
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 per...
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 K...
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 jo...
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, wh...
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 ...
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’ law...
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 epi...
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 Sa...
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 rema...
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 Do...
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 On...
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 ca...
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 de...
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 believe...
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 ...
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 s...
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.
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 crim...
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: im...