Docuseries featuring Wilmington police could reach new viewers
Docuseries featuring Wilmington police could reach new viewers
John Staton, Wilmington StarNewsWed, November 4, 2026 at 10:01 AM UTC
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A popular docuseries that has regularly featured officers with the Wilmington Police Department is set to enter syndication this year, potentially expanding its viewership.
"Police 24/7," which uses a formula similar to the one pioneered by long-running Fox docuseries "Cops," has aired some 50 episodes over its first two seasons on The CW network in 2024-25 and 2025-26. Around eight of those episodes have featured scenes shot in Wilmington.
The show has been successful, and in August, The Hollywood Reporter entertainment site reported that "Police 24/7" had been renewed for two more seasons and would enter broadcast syndication this fall. The article noted that the show was "among The CW’s top five entertainment programs last season," although "nothing on the network, outside of a few sports telecasts, averaged more than 1 million viewers without streaming."
"Police 24/7" airs 8 p.m. Wednesdays on The CW, and can be streamed on Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and elsewhere. The CW was also home to long-running, Wilmington shot series "One Tree Hill."
"The WPD had a great experience being part of The CW’s 'Police 24/7,'" said Brandon Shope, public information officer with the Wilmington Police Department, in a statement. "While we have not filmed with the production team in the past year, and as of now, we are not scheduled to appear in any upcoming additional seasons, we appreciate the opportunity we had to participate.
"Overall, it was a positive experience and a unique opportunity to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the work our officers do every single day to keep Wilmington’s streets safe," Shope added. "The show offered a chance to highlight the dangerous challenges officers face, the split-second decisions they make in the field, and their commitment to serving our entire community."
The CW has posted at least three new "ride-along" episodes to its YouTube channel over the past month.
In one, Wilmington police officer Jacob Fleuriet responds to a reported fight at Greenfield Lake Park that left a man bleeding heavily with a head wound. The injured man, who was White, said he called a Black man a racial slur, prompting the latter to hit him with a stick. The man who hit him was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
Another episode shows Fleuriet and officer Beth Efird pulling over a man near downtown Wilmington. A realistic-looking gun is discovered upon a search of the man's car, who is heard complaining to his mother over the phone that he's being arrested for having "a pellet gun."
A woman who was was in the car that was pulled over, who officers said was in another car that had been pulled over 45 minutes earlier, was allowed to leave the scene with a puppy that was in the car.
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WPD: Wilmington police respond to use-of-force incident seen on social media
Another recently posted "ride-along" episode features drone shots of downtown Wilmington as well as footage of horse-drawn carriage tours. In the episode, officer Biss Kistler says that she worked with horses growing up, and that "if you can handle a 2,000-pound animal you can handle a man," adding that "Biss Kistler don't take (expletive) from no man. Or woman."
Later, she pulls over a man named Justin who's run a red light near Wrightsville Beach and charges him with driving with a suspended license.
In the same episode, Fleuriet investigates what he calls an unlicensed "shot house," or illegal bar, on Kidder Street, and says he sees a gun and "weed" through the window of a parked car near the establishment. He later pulls over a woman driving the car off South 16th Street but doesn't find anything illegal and doesn't arrest the woman, whose face was blurred out on screen.
Also in that episode, officer Corey Kush orders pad Thai to eat in his car while on break, later responding to a call about a hit and run on Montclair Drive that results in an arrest.
Wilmington shooting: Decision not to charge officers is criticized
The WPD has come under scrutiny in recent weeks for a couple of different incidents.
In one, District Attorney Jason Smith declined to pursue charges against two New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office deputies and three Wilmington Police Department officers involved in an Aug. 21 shooting that left a man with serious injuries. The decision sparked protests by family members and civil rights advocates.
In the other incident, which is currently undergoing an internal investigation, the use of force by Wilmington police officers was caught in a video that has circulated widely on social media.
John Staton is the arts and culture reporter at the StarNews. You can reach him at jstaton@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Docuseries featuring Wilmington police could reach new viewers
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
