Utah State Trooper’s Wife Sparks Debate After Posting Video of Family Trip: “Big No No”

The wife of a Utah State Trooper posted a video to Instagram that was later shared on X, where it sparked debate over whether the trooper had violated department policy. In the video, she films herself and her husband after they stop so he can remove debris from the highway.

As he is putting on his vest, she says that they were coming from the movies when he saw the debris and decided to stop. This sparked an immediate backlash among somee, with those saying that state vehicles like this one should not be used for personal errands.

Commenters Challenged the Original Poster's Claims About Vehicle Use

A user questioned what the issue was, saying, "Why??? There was a metal ladder in the middle of the road the other day on the highway in Phoenix. All I could do was swerve. Wish I had someone with me who would've been able to move it!"

The original poster doubled down on their opinion in their response. "He took his family to the movies in his state vehicle. Big no no," they said.

However, their claim was disputed in the same thread of comments. Another user said, "Oh look. Utah State Troopers can use their assigned vehicles off-duty within 50 miles of their residence. Says so on their hiring page and everything." and included a link to the hiring page.

The hiring page has a section for off-duty car use, which confirms that it can be used within 50 miles of the person's residence.

This claim was subsequently used as a community note on the X post. Community notes function as addendums that can either prove or dispute the information in the post.

It is unclear where the family was traveling or how far they were from the trooper's residence at the time the video was recorded.

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made in the X post or whether the trooper's use of the state-issued vehicle complied with department policy.