‘They have speakers?’: Man on house arrest appears to talk to parole officer on ankle monitor
A viral TikTok video shows a user wearing an ankle monitor while appearing to have a hilarious conversation with the authorities.
@bdawg4200420 #fyp #housearresttingz #anklemonitor #felonytiktok ♬ original sound - BMGTK
The video is straightforward. Brandon, known as bdawg4200420 on TikTok, is wearing an Omnilink-branded GPS ankle monitor, clearly stemming from an ongoing legal matter. But the added audio he used made the TikTok video go viral—to the tune of over 5 million views.
The audio captures an individual on court supervision expressing his impatience with the system. "It's crazy; y'all want me to turn myself in." In response, a police officer says, "I know you're not gonna do that."
"Yeah, I'm not; y'all gonna have to find me," the unknown fugitive replies. The officer quips, "I knew that. I knew when we first started talking."
The video generated comments, with people laughing at the audio in tandem with Brandon's current predicament. One wrote, "It was the 'y'all gone have to come find me.'" Another wrote:" 'i knew that that' sir was really [calm] with you." Yet another user found the tone hilarious: "the seriousness of the call sounding so casual."
People initially thought it was a legitimate conversation between Brandon and his parole officer. "I thought it was a real conversation with an ankle monitor," said one person. "I feel like I'm eavesdropping on your conversation," wrote another commenter.
"Wait... They work like this?" another commenter wondered. Someone replied, "This isn't his sound but yes I'm pretty sure the expensive ones they can talk to you through it when I had mine it couldn't do that thank god."
One woman said, "mine had GPS & cud see on Google maps where I was lol."
While this particular Omnilink model of ankle monitor may or may not have these features, some bracelets enable the police to call you directly through the monitor itself. Some units even report to authorities the use of alcohol or drugs.
Other models, particularly by the ReliAlert brand, can record the wearer—even without consent, which is legally problematic. In 2019, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials reportedly used data from an immigrant's ankle monitor to raid the meat plant where she worked.
The Daily Dot contacted bdawg4200420 via TikTok comment.
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