Woman’s Wig Triggers Police Response When Spotted Hanging Out of Car Trunk

• Toria Townsend casually tossed her “work wig” into her car trunk while on her way to a hair appointment.
• A concerned citizen called a non-emergency line, leading to the prompt arrival of the police at her door.
• “Oh my Jesus! That’s my weave!” exclaimed Townsend, causing the officers to burst into laughter.

Video footage of a police visit captured on an Ohio woman’s Ring camera has gone viral after a concerned citizen spotted strands of hair hanging out of her car trunk. It turned out to be a wig.

The video from June 16 has accumulated 71,000 views on the woman’s TikTok account. Reposts of the video, such as those from accounts @realjimmyhendrixx and @itsgoneviral, have reached over 10 million impressions.

Toria Townsend, a 30-year-old college student who works with adults with developmental disabilities, shared her experience of the incident. She was on her way to her hair appointment to get knotless braids on a particularly busy day.

“I was running late to my hair appointment,” she said. “I hastily removed my wig and threw it in the trunk without paying attention to where it landed.”

During the 45-minute drive home, Townsend remained oblivious to the wig in her trunk, even while making a quick stop at Dairy Queen, where she noticed people giving her odd looks.

“I wondered why people were staring at me at the traffic light,” Townsend recalled. “I thought to myself, ‘Someone must’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Why is everyone staring?'”

Less than 10 minutes after arriving home, the doorbell rang, and Townsend was surprised to find police officers and a barking dog at her doorstep. This made her extremely nervous.

As shown in the Ring footage, one officer, who Townsend described as “very nice,” informed her about the hair in her trunk, prompting her to exclaim, “Oh my Jesus! That’s my weave!” The officers laughed as Townsend hurried inside to retrieve her keys.

Later, Townsend discovered that a concerned driver had reported her license plate number. Although she shared the call on TikTok, she did not reveal how she obtained it. She was simply relieved that people in the community are looking out for public safety.

“I bear no ill feelings,” Townsend expressed. “I’m grateful that she made the call because it shows that the community cares.”

Following the incident, Townsend has learned to be more cautious when storing her 10 wigs. She admitted that she sometimes absentmindedly tosses them onto a car seat when she’s feeling hot or anxious.

She also expressed her delight in the video going viral, as it showcases a positive and lighthearted interaction between a police officer and a person of color.

Commenters on the video also appreciated the humorous and pleasant exchange. One popular comment mentioned, “He tried his best not to laugh,” while another added, “He had a calm energy from the beginning… I like that.”

Townsend remarked, “It’s not often that you see a person of color and an officer interact so well. It’s a good thing to witness a person of color and an officer getting along and sharing laughter all because of a wig.”