Ivan D. Sarabia-Medina was a cop with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for 16 years before his TikTok videos got him fired. Sarabia-Medina loved being a police officer, but he loved posting more. When he was caught posting on the job, he lied about doing it. The lies were obvious, stupid, and easily checked. His career as a law enforcement is now over, but his TikToks live on thanks to a playlist put together by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training
The saddest thing about Sarabia-Medina’s TikTok career is that it wasn’t very good. Investigators saved 16 separate videos they used to end the man’s career and they’re all pretty similar. Sarabia-Medina appears in full uniform, often in his patrol car or the police station, and he mugs for the camera for a few seconds.
Cataloging the weapons he has access to is a common theme. “These are good right here,” Sarabia-Medina says, showing off stun grenades. “You want to keep that pin in there at all times.” The camera pans to show a paintball-style gun that launches pellets filled with pepper powder. “And, of course, the pepperball. That’s a fun one too. So. Cool. Let’s do it.”
In another video Sarabia-Medina is also in full uniform while he spins around in an office chair. The words “HIT THE LIKE BUTTON TIKTOK!” float above his head. “What are you doing,” he says, bending over the camera. “Why are you not hitting the like button? Come on. Go ahead. Like it. There you go.” He leans back and spins in his chair again.
A third video shows Sarabia-Medina going through an In-N-Out drive-thru to pick up a Flying Dutchman. “IN & OUT FLYING DUTCHMAN 50% OFF, THANK YOU SIR!” read the words floating above the cop’s head. Then he sits in the drive-thru while the unseen cashier tells him that they’re working on his discount.
Documents about the investigation make it clear that Sarabia-Medina was in trouble for the TikToks, but what got him fired was lying to internal affairs when they started to look into it. According to the documents, internal affairs began an investigation after a retired LASD sergeant noticed the TikToks and called to complain. After IA started going through the videos they found several problems.
“The videos showed Respondent activating a taser in his hand while in uniform and in a police vehicle. Respondent was also seen inside the Walnut Station (Respondent’s duty station) critiquing another TikTok user’s video related to search and seizure. Respondent made additional TikTok videos while inside Walnut Station, one such video was filmed in the station armory and showed Respondent manipulating a shotgun in his hands and another video manipulating a less-lethal weapon and pointing it at the camera. Respondent made other videos from the interior of his patrol vehicle which showed his Mobile Digital Computer (MDC), the vehicle’s takedown lights illuminating the exterior of the vehicle and showing the interior of the vehicle and the vehicle’s inventory of weapons. Respondent recorded himself receiving a gratuity in the form of a discounted meal while on duty, in a police vehicle, and in full department uniform. The LASD reviewed a total of 26 TikTok videos for their investigation.”
When investigators questioned Sarabia-Medina about the TikToks, he repeatedly lied about being on duty during filming, even when it was obvious. The upload times of the videos, clocks in the background of the recording, and even his own wristwatch—visible in several recordings—give away that the cop was filming TikToks on duty. They even found the receipt for his In-N-Out purchase, included in the investigation documents, that proved he was supposed to be working while he was dicking around in a drive-thru.
Transcripts of the investigation are infuriating. Sarabia-Medina sticks to his lie no matter what. In one video he looks directly at the camera and gives the exact date, day, and time. He complains about being tired and ready for two days off. He told investigators that he was off duty when he recorded the video.
“So, the reason why I said it’s 3 AM—it’s not necessarily because it was 3 AM; I was trying to portray to my followers that it was 3 AM and I was tired,” he said during the interview. “That was actually at the end of my shift. I was getting ready to unload my stuff and I decided to make that video. It’s not common that I would say, ‘Oh hey guys it’s, you know, 2 in the morning, I’m tired, I just got off call—and I could be sitting in my garage or sitting in the parking lot.’ It’s just something that, you know, I’ve done in the past.”
The interviewer pressed. “What was your intent? To deceive your followers by giving them the incorrect time?”
Serbia-Medina said it was all an act. “It’s catchy. A lot of the followers, you know, they want to see officers on duty or going to 10-8. Since I know I can’t go 10-8 and show myself, I will sometimes pretend that I’m on duty when I’m not on duty.”
Investigators also pressed him on his propensity to show off weapons in videos. “Do you think that anyone who sees this video can assume that department members are trigger-happy since we have several videos where we’re displaying weaponry, whether lethal or nonlethal?”
“Yeah I won’t speculate as to what someone else might assume,” Sarabina-Medina said.
“Well, do you think someone can infer we’re trigger-happy based on several TikTok Videos you posted on your account showing lethal and less-lethal weapons?”
And here, he the TikTok cop finally relented. “Yeah, the title of the video says 15000 Volts, Please Fight Us In Court, Not On the Street. It’s meant as a message to say, you know, please don’t fight police officers, you know, just wait ‘til you go to court and then you can state your case in court.”
Sarabina-Medina’s law enforcement career ended in a nightmare. He was pulled into a room and interrogated about his posts. Investigators made him answer for every stupid decision he made when he turned on the camera and tried to become a social media star.
In one of the videos that truly sank him, Sarabina-Medina filmed a dull duet with a lawyer explaining the rules around unlawful search and seizure. Once again, he claimed he was off duty at the time of filming. “There is no direct evidence other than Respondent’s own assertion that he recorded this video at the end of his shift; to the contrary, there is direct evidence refuting Respondent’s assertion. Respondent’s wristwatch showed the video was recorded at 0205 hours (2:05 AM). The respondent told investigators this video was recorded at the end of his shift—that was clearly not the case,” the investigation said.
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