As a law firm, New York-based The Injury Group (theinjurygroup) uses its social media accounts to share reposts and information about the law, including how to handle traffic stops. One recent repost on Instagram highlighted an incident in Pennsylvania and drew hundreds of thousands of views because it pointed out the importance of knowing who can conduct a traffic stop.
As the firm highlighted in the post’s caption, “This guy knew he was being pulled over by someone who had no authority to do so!” The video begins with footage of the driver being pulled over by an SUV that looks like a police vehicle, with flashing lights and sirens. When a man in uniform with a badge on his chest walks up, the driver asks, “Which police department are you with?” The person in the uniform responds, “Public Safety for Pocono County Police.” Pennsylvania does not have a Pocono County, as the Pocono Mountains region spans several counties.
The driver asks for confirmation that the man is not with a police department. The man replies, “No, public safety,” but adds, “That doesn’t change anything, though. We can still pull you over.” The driver seems skeptical and asks if, as security, the uniformed man can really conduct a traffic stop, and the officer says he can before asking for the driver’s license, registration, and insurance.
The driver immediately refuses
In the video, he tells the man, “You’re not law enforcement, dude. Who exactly do you think you are?” The uniformed man repeats that he is a public safety officer. At this point, the driver moves the camera closer to the man and tells him, “You are not supposed to be conducting traffic stops on public roads.” The driver then says he will be lodging a complaint with the police that the safety officer is “impersonating police officers.”
The video’s overlay text reads, “POA conducts illegal traffic stop,” and many of The Injury Group’s viewers agreed. One user claimed that “impersonating an officer is a felony,” while another said that using flashing blue lights is also a “Serious Felony.” POA typically refers to a property owners’ association, and some private communities in the Poconos employ their own public safety officers. The video does not show whether the stop took place on a public road or a private community road.
Some people couldn’t believe the actions of the public safety officer. One commenter wrote, “This is crazy that these people are just acting like they can just do whatever they want.” Another urged drivers to record such interactions, writing, “Know your rights and stand firm on them.”
Recording does not always settle things at the roadside, as one Georgia driver found when an officer declined to rely on his dashcam footage during a stop. The officer told him the camera was not a state-registered device.
Other users wondered what the public safety officer planned to do next. One person asked, “How would he run your license? They have access to that?”
At the end of the video, the driver stays firm with the uniformed man. “You are not a police officer, sir. Have a good day. You’re dismissed,” he says.
Attack of the Fanboy was unable to independently verify the officer’s side of the story, as this account originates solely from the driver’s video, which was then shared on The Injury Group’s Instagram page.
Published: Oct 25, 2026 09:45 am