Cop filmed telling motorist he wanted to beat him, sic dog on him
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/02/cop-filmed-telling-motorist-he-wanted-to-beat-him-sic-dog-on-him/
A days-old viral Facebook video shows an angry New Jersey cop yelling at a young motorist. The police officer says he wants to knock the motorist "the fuck out" and sic his 90-pound police dog on him—in what appears to be retribution for the man filming the officer. Because of the video, taken by one of the two motorists pulled over in Atlantic City, the officer has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Following the publication of the 80-second video, which has more than 400,000 views, Atlantic City Police Chief Henry White called for an internal affairs investigation. The men involved in the traffic stop have been neither identified nor arrested. The incident is being investigated solely because it was recorded. This is another example of how the YouTube society—in which people are constantly filming each other and their surroundings with mobile phones—is altering the criminal justice system.
"Take that phone and stick it out of my face. I'm not gonna tell you again," the officer tells one of the motorists who is filming him. The officer then becomes enraged.
"Calm the fuck down," the officer yells at the two men, one of whom calmly replies "yes, sir."
"I guarantee you, that 90-pound dog is going to come out and rip the fuck out of you," the officer shouts. In response to one of the men filming the officer, the cop says: "Put your hand in my face and I'm going to knock you the fuck out."
The cop also says:
"We'll step out and bang. I got no fucking problem. You're under unlawful detention. You're not allowed to have your cell phone. You understand? You're not allowed to use it. You can turn yours off right now... "
The video ends.
The authorities declined to say why the men were pulled over. In a statement, the police agency said:
The Atlantic City Police Department is aware of a citizen-filmed video that is circulating on social media. Chief Henry White has ordered the Internal Affairs Section to begin an immediate investigation into the incident. The language and tone used by our officer in the video is concerning and is not condoned by this department. The officer involved was wearing a body-worn camera which will be reviewed by detectives.
The Atlantic City Police Department values our interactions with our residents and visitors. We have worked hard to gain the trust and confidence of the community by becoming part of the community with many of our programs such as Pizza with the Police and Coffee with the Cop. Our officers are involved in neighborhood walks and events that educate the community on the role of police officers with our Civilian Police Academy and Juvenile Police Academy.
Days before the video surfaced, meanwhile, another Atlantic City police officer was arrested on aggravated assault charges in connection to his girlfriend's beating.