The Philadelphia Police are investigating one of their officers after he appeared in a viral video showing a black man being harassed for “being in the wrong neighborhood.”
The video, which according to sources tell our sister network NBC10, occurred in the new year of 2020, shows how a black man is followed by an agent of the Philadelphia Police Department between Warnock and Brown streets, in the Poplar area.
The video does not show the events that led to the confrontation, but it does show how the policeman, identified as Agent Hoover, repeatedly asks the alleged victim “where he is from” and “why is he in the wrong neighborhood” .
“What are you doing here? Because you don’t live in this area! Where are you from?”, Presses the policeman.
The man who recorded the video repeatedly says that he was on his way to his aunt’s house and asks the police to stop following him because “he is not doing anything wrong.”
“I’m on my way back to my cousin’s house, I feel threatened. Don’t come near me and I’m going to come near you,” says the man while the policeman follows him and shines his flashlight at him.
Sources told our NBC10 network that the man who recorded the video was arrested that night for alleged disorderly conduct.
Given how viral the video became on sites like TikTok, the Philadelphia Police published a statement in which they indicate that they are investigating the incident and that the police officer involved has been placed in administrative functions.
“We understand that the video circulating has caused anger and disappointment. All PPD officers are expected to carry out their duties with honor and integrity. The officer involved has been placed in administrative duties pending the outcome of an Internal Affairs investigation.” Read the agency’s tweet.
Likewise, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) released a statement in which it described the incident as “violent” and called on the Police Department to discipline its corrupt agents.
“Part of the problem is because the Philadelphia Police Department does not hold its corrupt officers responsible for the violent acts they commit,” the NAACP insisted. “The same police officers must stand up and raise their voices against the agents who commit these violent acts and harassment.”
TELEMUNDO62 and NBC10 asked the Fraternal Order of Police for comment on the video. They offered no comment on the matter.
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