Does a viral video really show body camera footage of a "crazy Karen" being arrested for keying a Tesla and shooting the driver's side three times with a handgun? No, that's not true: The "Axon bodycam" timestamp in the video is a fake that does not match the struck-through zeroes seen in real police video time stamps. The bullet holes appear to be decals, not actual holes in the metal door. The video was published on a YouTube channel that appears to contain several other videos that were filmed on sets and stages often used by viral video creators.
Posted on X (here) and on TikTok (here), the video originated on May 31, 2025 on YouTube (archived here) on the BodyCam Declassified channel under the title: "Crazy Karen Vandalizes and shoots Tesla". It was captioned:
Crazy lady arrested for shooting Tesla.
Here's what the video looked like on YouTube at the time this fact check was written:
(Source: YouTube.com screenshot by Lead Stories.)
Clue #1: That's Not An Axon Watermark
The first clue that the video is not authentic bodycam footage is that the Axon Body 2 timestamp in the upper right corner does not use the same struck-through zeros as authentic Axon Body 2 devices use. Note that the zeroes in the fake timestamp do not have a slash through them:
(Source: YouTube.com screenshot by Lead Stories.)
Below is a screenshot showing what the numbers on an authentic Axon Body 2 video look like, as shown in the Axon.com page explaining how to read its timestamps:
(Source: Axon.com screenshot by Lead Stories)
Clue #2: Bullet holes, but no dents
A close-up screenshot from the video shows the three bullet holes in the driver's side of the Tesla appear to be bullet-hole stickers sold in novelty shops and online, since there's no concave dent in the door:
(Source: YouTube.com screenshot by Lead Stories)
Lead Stories searched for photos from crime scenes, showing authentic bullet holes in the doors of Tesla sedans. In each photo posted by journalists or by Tesla drivers, the force of a lead bullet piercing the aluminum door of a Tesla appears (archived here) to dimple the material, making more than just a round hole. That effect would be more pronounced given that the video shows shots fired point-blank into the car, when the bullet would be near its maximum velocity and destructive power.
Clue #3: Bodycam Declassified YouTube channel specializes in politically-loaded skits
The channel purports to document changes in law enforcement brought about by widespread use of body cameras. Only at the end of its "About" section does it disclose: "In some videos, we may reenact some elements to clarify key aspects of certain encounters." Almost every video on the channel appears to be a skit.
At the time the video was posted, Elon Musk was still running the Department of Government Efficiency and had not yet feuded with President Donald Trump, who expressed sympathy for Musk when politically motivated vandals began setting fire to Tesla dealerships and trashing Teslas seen on the roads. In this video, the character playing the vandal says, as she is led to the patrol car, "Elon Musk sucks and anything to do with him sucks ... he's ruining this damn freaking country."
Other videos with the fake bodycam watermark on the Bodycam Declassified channel as of July 7, 2025, included:
- Entitled Model Mistakes Police Car For Uber
- Rookie Cop Pulls Over His Powerful Sheriff
- Cop Slaps Arrogant Prince in Ferrari and Gets Suspended
Readers interested in other Lead Stories fact checks related to Axon bodycam videos will find a collection here.
