4 Times Cops Took Down the WRONG Drivers

Summary of the Video’s Main Points (4 Cases of Mistaken Stops)

The video argues that, in multiple incidents across different states, police used information from vehicle-identification systems (or visual matching during high-speed pursuits) to stop the wrong driver—leading to dangerous, traumatic encounters and, in at least two cases, significant legal consequences.

1) North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — Wrong Vehicle Stopped (May 3, 2024)

• North Myrtle Beach police received a stolen-vehicle alert via a license plate reader for a silver Dodge Challenger.
• Officer Kayla Wallace believed she had the correct car during a stop sequence, but she was actually seconds away from targeting the wrong vehicle.
• The stopped driver—an 18-year-old (Lenanishia Hemingway, sometimes spelled similarly in the subtitles)—was confronted at gunpoint and ordered to:
  • show her hands,
  • exit the car,
  • kneel,
  • comply under extreme force.
• It turned out the actual alert vehicle was silver with a specific plate (VLP678), while the car stopped was a dark gray Charger with a different plate (VSW736).
• After about a month, Hemingway filed a federal civil rights lawsuit; the city reportedly settled for about $250,000.
• Despite the error, officers Wallace and Mike Paco reportedly stayed on duty, and the department provided no public explanation.

2) Arkansas — Mistaken Identity During a PIT Maneuver (Sept. 10, 2023)

• Arkansas State Troopers pursued two vehicles traveling over 100 mph.
• Trooper Corporal Thomas Huard tracked a speeding suspect vehicle described as a white four-door sedan and attempted a PIT maneuver, forcing the car into the water.
• Troopers later discovered the car they stopped was not the suspected vehicle.
• The driver and passenger declined medical treatment on scene.
• After an internal review, Huard reportedly submitted his retirement letter and never returned to duty.
• The video notes there’s no public information on whether the real suspects were caught or whether lawsuits were filed.

3) Maran/Missouri? (Subtitles: “City of Maran”) — Wrong Stop Misidentified as a Near-Identical Car (Nov. 20, 2022)

• Officer Madison Smith chased a black Dodge Challenger that reportedly fled an attempted traffic stop at a gas station earlier.
• Smith confronted the wrong person—an innocent man who had just left Burger King—because the target vehicle and his vehicle looked extremely similar, including nearly matching plates.
• The encounter included demands for hands, weapons-level compliance language, and orders to get out/face the officer.
• David Wiggins III filed a civil lawsuit alleging negligence, excessive force, and false imprisonment.
• The case went to trial and Wiggins won, receiving nearly half a million dollars in damages.
• Smith reportedly remained with the department into 2023 and then left quietly, while the city never clearly explained why.

4) Florida Highway Patrol / Opa-Locka — Wrong Vehicle During Reckless Chase (Nov. 29, 2023)

• Florida Highway Patrol received reports of a fleeing car driving recklessly.
• Trooper Walner Roy spotted a vehicle matching the description, but it was not the suspect: it was an unmarked police car.
• The vehicle was driven by Opaaka/Opa-Locka Police Captain Cory Croinberg, who later said he was conducting surveillance as part of a multi-agency task force (with a helicopter overhead) and was not activating typical lights because it was surveillance.
• A communication breakdown and lack of clarity about the vehicle’s status (described in the subtitles as a “blackout” or unmarked car) led to escalating force during the stop/pursuit moment.
• The video states that both agencies said officers acted according to policy, and no one was charged or fired.

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Presenters / Contributors Mentioned (from the subtitles)

• Officer Kayla Wallace
• Mike Paco
• Lenanishia Hemingway (victim/plaintiff)
• Corporal Thomas Huard
• Officer Madison Smith
• David Wiggins III (plaintiff)
• Trooper Walner Roy
• Captain Cory Croinberg (Opa-Locka police)