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Who is Brian Laundrie-lookalike cop? Chris Laundrie laughs with officer in viral pic

The photo was actually a screenshot of a video where Chris is seen laughing with an officer at Carlton Reserve where he joined the search for his son

After Christopher Laundrie agreed to assist the North Port Police to look for his son Brian Laundrie in Carlton Reserve where he had gone hiking on September 13, he was seen laughing with a police officer who looked just like the missing 23-year-old. Brian has been named the person of interest in the murder case of Florida vlogger Gabby Petito, who was also his girlfriend. 

Petito and Laundrie had embarked on a cross-country trip back in July and on September 1, he returned home without her in the van they had traveled in together during the trip. Laundrie has reportedly not been seen since September 14 and was confirmed 'missing' on September 17. Since then, Gabby's body has been discovered in a Wyoming park by the authorities. Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed the vlogger's death was a homicide but the immediate cause of death is still unclear as police are still waiting for the final autopsy results.

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Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino revealed: "The North Port police informed me that they were focusing on certain areas of the preserve today and they were actually hoping that Mr Laundrie could join them on that search. Mr Laundrie has consented and we are waiting for the call from the North Port Police Department to make that happen."

'Why is Chris out in the reserve searching for Brian with BRIAN'

The photo which went viral on Twitter was actually a screenshot of a video where Chris is seen laughing with an officer at the reserve where he joined the search on Thursday, October 7. People on social media were quick to point out that the officer with Chris, whose side face was seen in the picture, bore an uncanny resemblance to Brian. This in turn caused the conspiracy network to get busy in churning out bizarre theories. 

"This is the most bazaar case I have ever seen in real life. #BrianLaundrie," one of them said, while another noted, "Maybe LE purposely put an officer with CL that looked like Brian to help create more of a rapport with CL and therefore make him feel more comfortable to let his guard down and talk and possibly give away some info."

A third commented, "What if they dressed #brainlaundrie up in police uniform to sneak him out undetected by reporters. This looks like a conversation between a dad & his son that haven't seen each other in a while. What kinda whacked out reality r we caught up in." The next remarked, "On another note, why is Chris out in the reserve searching for Brian with BRIAN. #BrianLaundrie." Another quipped, "#BrianLaundrie ‘s doppelganger with #ChrisLaundrie today at Carlton Reserve. Does this look like a distressed father to you?"

A commenter tweeted, "Why does #ChrisLaundrie laughing with LE remind me of someone else? #BrianLaundrie #justiceforgabbypetito #findbrianlaundrie." Another said, "Lots of folks completely misreading the Chris Laundrie photo from today w/the #BrianLaundrie lookalike law enforcement officer. The reason Papa Laundrie is smiling/laughing is because this law enforcement officer expertly got him to drop his guard a bit and probably open up some." One more stated, "Brian Laundrie’s dad searching for Brian with a FBI agent who is a Brian Look alike. He’s certainly looking happy here!!! #BrianLaundrie #ChrisLaundrie #Gabbypetito #brianlaundrie #justiceforgabbypetito." A person reacted with, "So… Chris Laundrie leaves with a bag of stuff. He then leads the search for his son #BrianLaundrie. Then meets up with a cop that look exactly like Brian Laundrie… kind of sus."

Who is Brian Laundrie-lookalike officer?

According to internet sleuths who went to work identifying the officer, it was K-9 officer Drake Sunderland from the North Port Police Department. "I believe the North Port Police Officer that was with Christopher Laundrie today in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park is K-9 Officer Drake Sunderland. #GabbyPetito #BrianLaundrie," wrote Twitter user Jonathan Lee Riches. 

Another user Meredith Sharpe Dean, also tracked the cop down to make it evident that he was not Brian Laundrie even though his side face resembled the hunted man. "To the tinfoil hat wearers thinking the guy who was with Chris Laundrie today, was #brianlaundrie…. Ummm no, it was this magnificent specimen of a man. #respect," she wrote, posting pictures of the cop.

The only other information about Officer Sunderland is a Facebook post where he is seen reading a book to students at Lamarque Elementary who are attending the Summer Learning Academy. "Great to see all the little ones!," the post from 2019 is captioned.