Being pulled over by the police is always nerve-racking, and it’s probably even more awkward when the driver is a pop star with multiple chart-topping singles. In July 2025, one such encounter went viral after sheriff’s deputies in Kiowa County, Kansas, stopped a vehicle transporting British ’80s hitmaker John Waite. But instead of leading to tension, the traffic stop resulted in a genuinely wholesome moment.
Waite and his band were en route to their concert at United Wireless Arena in Dodge City when they were pulled over for speeding. Sergeant Justin Rugg just happened to be a longtime fan. “I’m not even on cloud nine; I’m on like cloud 12,” he said after making the stop, according to the Kiowa County Sheriff Office’s Facebook page. The post continued: “It’s not every day our Deputies get to pull over cool guys!!”
Everyone was a good sport about the whole thing. Waite took a photo with the officer and even had his band pose for another, leaning over the hood of the patrol car and looking back at the camera in mock confusion. The band eventually made it to the show, and both Waite and the sheriff’s office shared the photos. The KCSO wrote to Waite, “Have a rockin’ time and check out that beautiful Kansas sky!” On his own account, the musician added, “Pulled over for speeding. Good guy cop!”
Neither the report nor the social media posts officially say whether Waite’s crew received a speeding ticket, but given the cordial tone of the photo session, it seems likely they were let off with a warning.
The comment sections are full of solid jokes and observations, including this one: “Excuse was he didn’t want to be late for a show. He got off with a verbal. I’m going to have to try that next time.” A commenter whose profile lists their occupation as a 911 dispatcher with the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office wrote: “I was just excited to dispatch on this call lol!! Freaking AMAZING!!!!! Hey, John Waite, stop in here on your way back!! It’s my weekend to work so I didn’t get to see you!!!!”
Waite looks back on the moment
Months later, Waite laughed about the viral encounter during an interview with the YouTube channel AccordingToAmabile.
“[The officer] says, ‘Who are you?’” he recalled. “I’m going, ‘John Waite.’ He says, ‘John Waite!’ And the next thing I know, I’m taking photographs with him, and we’re almost wrestling. Everybody’s cracking up and laughing. He was a great guy! That night, I look out in the audience, and he’s raging, jumping up and down about four rows back! You meet some fantastic people [as a musician]. You really do. And a lot of it’s very funny.”
Posting songs from the Vision Quest soundtrack. Enjoy!
John Waite – Change
pic.twitter.com/U9qfpYq6x5— OneOutOfFour (@OneOutOf4) February 28, 2026
You’ve probably heard Waite’s ’80s hits
While many people admitted they don’t recognize the singer’s name, it’s likely they’ve heard at least a few of his songs.
Waite’s first prominent gig came in the late ’70s as the frontman and bassist of the hard rock–power pop band The Babys, best known for minor hits like “Isn’t It Time” and “Every Time I Think of You.” The group, which briefly included Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain, broke up in 1981, and Waite launched a solo career the following year with his debut LP, Ignition. He enjoyed a long run of commercial success in the decade, landing 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including his ultra-smooth 1984 No. 1 hit “Missing You.” (If you haven’t seen the music video, do yourself a favor. It’s 1984 in visual form. Classic stuff.)
In between his various solo projects and tours, Waite had another breakthrough moment. In 1988, he co-founded the supergroup Bad English, which scored a No. 1 hit the following year with the sleek ballad “When I See You Smile.” No wonder Sergeant Rugg was so impressed.
