New York City police said they are conducting an “internal review” following the spread of a video on social media that appears to show an officer using a homophobic slur on a police car announcement system.
A video shared on Instagram last week, which had more than 2 million views Thursday, appears to show an officer in the passenger’s seat of a marked police car making a comment about oral sex and then saying “f—-t.”
The Instagram user who shared the video did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In an email Thursday, an NYPD spokesperson said: “The Department does not tolerate discrimination in any form and is committed to respectful work environments for our diverse workforce. The incident is under internal review.”
The Gay Officers Action League, or GOAL, a nonprofit advocacy group serving LGBTQ NYPD officers, said in a statement Wednesday: “We condemn such behavior because it is reprehensible and a severe violation of the trust and expectations we have for our fellow law enforcement professionals.
“This incident reminds us of the ongoing prejudices that persist within our society, and the ease with which some resort to hate speech. We refuse to remain silent. We are committed to ensuring that all LGBTQIA+ individuals, both within or outside the law enforcement community, are treated with respect and dignity.”
GOAL added that it is aware an NYPD investigation is underway and said it “will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
It said, “We expect the results of that investigation to lead to appropriate disciplinary action in line with the NYPD’s professional standards.”
GOAL President Brian Downey, an NYPD detective, said in an interview Thursday afternoon that the police department was already investigating before he had even seen the video. He said that he has since spoken with Police Commissioner Edward Cuban, Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey and leadership from the NYPD’s office of equity and that “they understand how we feel.”
“They didn’t waste any time, which is good. I understand there’s certain things in a disciplinary process or an investigation that you can’t comment on, and that’s for good reason, but we’re watching,” he said.
