Watch: Grand Forks cop who acted in commercial without permission won’t be punished

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KVRR) – A Grand Forks police officer who agreed to act in a video commercial for a Fargo RV dealer before checking with his supervisors will not be formally disciplined.

Officer Brian Samson appears in the McLaughlin’s RV & Marine video as a uniformed Grand Forks officer who pretends to arrest a man for selling campers “too low” and for “stealing from the company.” The man is handcuffed and taken towards a Grand Forks Police SUV.

The commercial was videotaped during the Grand Forks Men’s Show at the Alerus Center, where the police department had a promotion and recruitment display.

Office of Professional Standards Lt. Andrew Stein says Samson was on duty while the ad was being taped.  Stein says Samson agreed to appear in the ad “in the spirit of community relations” after he was approached by a McLaughlin’s representative.

Stein says Samson’s plans “probably should have been communicated” with his superiors, but he says because Samson had good intentions, no punitive action was taken.