rustythedog/iStock(DETROIT) — A Detroit police officer is under investigation Thursday after he allegedly posted racist video of a black woman he pulled over for driving with an expired license plate.
The Detroit Police Department said it placed officer Gary Steele on restrictive duty while it looks into allegations of racism and misconduct stemming from the inappropriate social media post.
Steele allegedly posted Snapchat video from his squad car on Tuesday evening, seemingly taunting a black woman after calling for her car to be towed and ordering her to walk home.
Video obtained by Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV, showed the woman’s car parked on the side of a snowy Detroit roadway as she walked alone in the dark.
“Walk of shame, in the cold, priceless,” a person says in the video, using a “Celebrate Black History Month” filter, which included the caption “what black girl magic looks like.”
The video signed off with “Bye Felicia,” a social media phrase that’s often used to dismiss an irrelevant person.
The Detroit Police Department confirmed that Steele was the person who uploaded the video.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig called it a “troubling story” during a press conference on Thursday.
“I’m angry because this was a racially insensitive post,” Craig said. “It’s not reflective of this police department.”
The woman in the video, identified as Ariel Moore, came forward in an interview on Thursday.
“I’ve never had this happen to me. I’m kind of shocked. I don’t really know how to feel right now,” Moore told WXYZ. “I’m still trying to take it in.”
Her mother, Monique Mobley, said she was outraged by the video.
“What they put on there, that’s racist,” Mobley said. “They’re demeaning my child for no reason.”
The officer could not be reached for comment.
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