Louisiana Driver Name-Drops State Police Colonel, Tickets Later Voided

A Louisiana traffic stop is drawing attention after newly released body camera video shows a driver mentioning his wife's connection to the head of Louisiana State Police before two citations issued during the stop were later voided.

The June 2025 stop in Assumption Parish was uncovered as part of a WAFB I-TEAM investigation. According to the report, troopers stopped a pickup after observing it cross the center line twice. The driver and his wife told troopers they had recently left a bar in Pierre Part and stopped for pizza on the way home.

Driver Mentions Connection To Louisiana State Police Colonel

Roughly a minute into the traffic stop, the driver told troopers that his wife worked for Louisiana State Police Colonel Robert Hodges.

"Whatever you are about to do is 100% fine with me," the driver said before explaining his wife's position.

When asked about alcohol consumption, the driver acknowledged that he had been drinking and said he had a drink inside the truck. He later identified his wife as Hodges' administrative assistant.

Troopers administered a roadside field sobriety test and ultimately determined the driver was not impaired.

However, because of the open alcoholic beverage and the lane violation that prompted the stop, troopers issued citations for open container and improper lane use. Bodycam video also shows a trooper pouring out the driver's drink before the citations were signed.

Both Traffic Tickets Were Voided The Next Day

What happened after the stop has become the focus of the WAFB investigation.

The Troop C commander voided both citations the following day.

Louisiana State Police told WAFB the commander independently reviewed the stop and used his discretion to dismiss the citations.

According to LSP, troopers had initially told the driver he would receive a warning if he cooperated and was found not to be impaired. State Police also said the improper lane use citation was not the appropriate citation for the violation observed, saying "Driving Left of Center" would have been the proper offense.

WAFB reported that troopers it spoke with questioned those explanations and described the removal of the citations as highly unusual.

Lawmaker Questions Whether Driver Received Special Treatment

State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle was among those raising questions about how quickly the tickets disappeared.

Marcelle told WAFB she had never seen circumstances like these and said she believes the driver received special treatment.

She also questioned why the citations were voided administratively rather than being handled through the normal court process.

Louisiana State Police and Colonel Hodges declined WAFB's requests for an interview, according to the I-TEAM report, but LSP provided a written statement defending how the situation was handled.

Louisiana State Police Denies DWI Was Ever "Undone"

State Police also pushed back against an allegation referenced in WAFB's original records request that a DWI arrest had been "undone" because of a call from Colonel Hodges.

LSP said that did not happen.

According to the agency, both troopers determined the driver was not impaired and he was never arrested for DWI. State Police said that if the driver had been determined to be impaired, he would have been arrested and processed accordingly.

The controversy instead centers on the two citations that were actually issued, and why they were voided so quickly after the stop.

Bodycam Video Sparks Debate Across Louisiana

Reaction to the report has been divided.

Many social media users questioned whether an average driver without a connection to Louisiana State Police leadership would have received the same treatment. Others argued that tickets being reduced, dismissed or "fixed" through personal connections is hardly a new phenomenon in Louisiana.

The bodycam footage is also receiving renewed attention because it surfaced as Hodges prepares to step down as head of Louisiana State Police.

For many watching the video, the biggest question isn't whether the driver was intoxicated. Troopers determined he was not.

The question is whether mentioning a direct connection to the state's top law enforcement official had anything to do with two signed traffic citations disappearing the following day.

Louisiana State Police maintains that it did not.