Race recorded on video posted to social media
By Robert Jordan
Daily Record of Dunn
A police lieutenant with two and a half years on the Dunn force was fired Monday after a video surfaced on social media of him racing another car on U.S. Highway 421. The video was filmed on Feb. 19, days before the first of three people were killed on the same highway in two separate wrecks involving speed.
Video from a dash camera in a civilian car involved in the race showed speeds climbing upwards of 90 mph as the car edges past a Dodge Durango in a neighboring lane on U.S. 421 near Masonic Road in Erwin. The posted speed limit on that stretch of the highway is 45 mph.
According to GPS monitoring data displayed on the bottom of the video, the race happened at 7:35 a.m. between its car, later identified as a Dodge Challenger, and the Durango. The alleged race in the video starts at the light for Masonic Road and shows the Challenger speeding up to 80 mph as it keeps pace with the Durango on its right heading into Dunn. The Challenger reaches 89 mph as it passes the Durango near the Zaxby’s restaurant. The Durango then pulls behind the Challenger with emergency blue lights and sirens activated, revealing itself as an unmarked police cruiser.
The video shows both cars slowing and merging into a lefthand turn lane for the Lowe’s Home Improvement store at the next intersection.
The female driver of the Challenger can be heard uttering anxious expletives, in the video, as she anticipates receiving a citation for racing the Durango at such high speeds.
But the video shows the law enforcement officer never exited the patrol vehicle to approach the driver of the Challenger at the light. Instead, it shows the Challenger making the left turn and the unmarked patrol car merging right to continue straight through the intersection with lights deactivated.
The driver of the Challenger can be heard on the video, placing a phone call and telling someone she just avoided an arrest after racing an unmarked police car.
Three videos of the race showing front and rear view footage was posted to a TikTok account belonging to Ashley Bragg, who declined to speak to The Record on the record.
“I’d rather not nor do I give you permission to use any of them,” Bragg told The Record, regarding the videos, entitled “When a cop doesn’t like being beat in a race he started” and “Pt 2 of me accidentally racing a cop.” “I feel like this isn’t something I want anything to do with.”
“I think you’re digging into something that is wayyyyy less important than other things going on,” messaged Bragg. “I’d look into something else rather than a stupid TikTok.”
That TikTok video became very important for Dunn police Lt. Petro “Pete” Moore, who was fired on Monday.
Dunn Police Department Chief Cary Jackson declined to identify the officer from the TikTok video, but did say the driver of the Durango was terminated on Monday.
Multiple outside sources confirmed that officer was Moore.
Jackson said that her office was looking into the matter last week and that the officer in question was on administrative leave pending a conclusion of that investigation. Jackson issued a statement on that conclusion Monday.
“On Monday, February 24, 2025, Chief Jackson was made aware of a video circulating on social media that involved an unmarked law enforcement vehicle belonging to the City of Dunn,” Jackson said in the statement. “Upon receiving this information, the officer involved was immediately placed on administrative leave pending a thorough investigation into the incident.
“The City of Dunn Police Department holds its officers to the highest standards of conduct. The actions depicted in the video are not representative of the values upheld by our agency. We remain committed to ensuring that all our officers serve the community with integrity, respect, and professionalism.
“On March 3, 2025, the investigation was concluded, and the officer involved is no longer a member of the Dunn Police Department. The City of Dunn Police Department takes such matters seriously to maintain the trust and confidence of the community we serve.”
Moore started with the force on Aug. 13, 2022. He was promoted to sergeant of the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) on April 1, 2023 and then to lieutenant of the CID on Feb. 10, 2024.
Sounds fishy to me
Our public servants are usually not here for public service. Police accountability needs to be taken more seriously. There’s too many blue line thug gang members that would rather go hand on and use their power to compliment their egos. Quit policing feelings and fire bad cops, judges, city workers or whoever doesn’t realize public service is exactly what it’s supposed to be
Hey there Chuck…jus’ so ya know…they did fire the bad cop in the story. Read the story next time…it may even lower your blood pressure. Yikes!
I did read the story. I see plenty of them. I’ve had negative encounters with Smithfield police who claim I was speeding but refused to show me radar proof or even get the officer who allegedly had me on radar to the traffic stop. He said his partner was who got me on radar but refused to get him at the traffic stop. All I did was question them and all the sudden their feelings were hurt and things went down hill from there. All the sudden I was treated like a criminal. No I don’t have a criminal record. Police are trained to violate our constitutional rights. Don’t live with your head in the sand
Chuck, You watch too much TV man, to say “Usually” not true at all. Millions of everyday encounters helping citizens everyday. You only see the few bad interactions, and the ones where people go out and seek confrontation for stupid social media posts or to try to get a settlement. Then they cry out after they get what they ask for. I’ve never had a bad experience with any officer or other piblic servant, but then again, I’m not a criminal or someone looking for a reason to be offended. Cops need to Quit caring what the criminals think or folks who want to play the race card and try to bait a bad interaction and just do their job. Its a dangerous situation when cops avoid certain criminals just because they dont want to deal with the backlash. Unfortunately people only believe what they want and whatever fits their narrative.
Wrong answer, yes I value my constitutional rights and those police are trained to violate them. I don’t watch much TV at all. I’ve seen it first hand and no I don’t have an arrest record. Believe what you want. I like good cops but we are heavily infested with bad ones and government trying to stomp on our rights. Onslow county courthouse won’t even let you bring a phone in the building. I went for a gardian ship hearing for my mother while she was in the hospital on her death bed. I told them I needed my phone in case they called and they refused. I understand it needs to be off in the courtroom. The fact they won’t let them in the building is a direct violation of my rights in public building that I pay for. There is no transparency or government accountability.
I know Chief Jackson and she is one of the good ones. She doesn’t tolerate anything less than what is moral and right. As others have said, there are literally thousands of police – citizen encounters daily that are done correctly. Dunn is a great department and this officer made a bad decision. He paid for it by losing his job. End of story.
Don’t feel bad for the fired cop… he’ll be employed soon. DOJ stats over the past 15 years show that 92% of LEOs fired for misconduct are hired by other departments within 60 days.
this is too much to read, post the video