A Detroit officer was caught in court with his pants down, literally

Officer Matthew Jackson learned a hard lesson about Zoom etiquette when he appeared for a virtual court hearing with no pants on.

Zoom etiquette is still getting the best of us in 2025. In Detroit, the police department is doing an internal investigation after one of its cops showed up to a virtual court meeting, pantless.

Officer Matthew Jackson was attending the hearing at the city’s 36th District Court on October 27 for a public intoxication case, which was being held virtually on Zoom. When he proceeded to confirm his attendance on the Zoom call, Judge Sean Perkins noticed something peculiar.

“You got some pants on, officer?” the judge said.

Officer Jackson seemed to realize then that the video camera he was using was capturing the lower part of his body, rather than only the top half. Even though he had on his police uniform shirt, he was wearing only underwear on the bottom.

“No sir,” he replied.

The defense attorney for the case, TaTaNisha Reed, was also on the call and described her shock to Channel 7 News Detroit. In the viral video of the virtual hearing, she tries to call attention to the officer’s unfortunate camera angle, saying, “He needs to alter his camera.”

“I was trying to figure it out,” Reed said to the local news channel. “Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?

Judge Perkins continued normally after, instead of disciplining Jackson.

The Detroit Police Department told Channel 7 that they were investigating the incident and speaking to their officers about the “proper attire and etiquette” they should use for court appearances. The 36th District Court’s site says that it prohibits “clothing which is not suitable in a Court or any professional environment.” This includes shorts (cut-offs), skorts, sleeveless shirts (tank tops), hats/caps (except those worn for cultural or religious purposes) 

“The involved officer actions are not representative of the professionalism of this department and will be appropriately addressed,” Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said in a statement.