Photo Credit: Scottsdale Police Department
Congratulations to 27-year-old Brett Carlin, who has earned this week’s prestigious distinction of being Scottsdale’s Most Embarrassing Export. In a city known for luxury cars and audacious flash, a city of peacocks showing off their feathers, Carlin managed to stand out…but not in the way his Instagram followers might have hoped.
Our hometown hero was indicted this week on two counts of unlawful flight from law enforcement and two counts of reckless driving, which is legal-speak for “being an absolute menace to society while filming it for the ‘gram.” Because apparently, nothing says “influencer lifestyle” quite like baiting cops into high-speed chases and documenting your journey toward a felony conviction.
The highlights of Carlin’s content creation strategy? Driving his motorcycle at over 180 mph on Loop 101 while weaving through traffic, intentionally provoking police pursuits, and, the real chef’s kiss? Waving at officers before tearing off at speeds that would make a fighter jet jealous. It’s performance art, really, if the art form you’re going for is “How to Lose Your License and Freedom Simultaneously.”
Here’s what makes this particularly Scottsdale: We’re a city that prides itself on sophistication, where people meticulously curate their personal brands around wine tastings and gallery openings. And then along comes this guy, whose brand is apparently “chaos tourist with a death wish and a GoPro.”
The Arizona Department of Public Safety received numerous tips from concerned citizens who watched Carlin’s videos and thought, “Hey, maybe someone should stop this guy before he turns another motorist into an unwilling extra in his increasingly terrible content.” DPS listened. They arrested him on October 1st, and he’s now enjoying his fifteen minutes of fame from behind a $20,000 secured bond.
To be fair to Carlin, he did achieve his goal of going viral…just not in the way that typically leads to lucrative sponsorship deals. Unless there’s a brand out there looking for a spokesperson who screams “poor life choices,” he might want to pivot his content strategy.
So here’s to you, Brett. You’ve given Scottsdale something we didn’t ask for: a reminder that influencer culture can occasionally influence people to do spectacularly stupid things. May your next viral moment be your mugshot serving as a cautionary tale.