(C) BoingBoing
Author Name: BoingBoing
This story was originally published on Boingboing.net. [1]
License: CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0.[2]
Belligerent, seemingly intoxicated Philadephia cop filmed harrassing man on street while spewing racist remarks: "shut your mouth, boy"
2021-10-02 00:00:00
The bizarre and belligerent behavior of a Philadelphia police officer is raising eyebrows after he was filmed harassing a local man, then shouting "Allstar!" and arresting him.
The rough arrest takes place about 6 minutes into the above video and caps a terrifying night-time encounter with a visibly euphoric, energetic, ranting officer who never stops directing insults and threatening questions at the man, who was not a suspect in any crime.
The man, identified as "Gabriel" in the YouTube upload, began filming after he left a relative's house in the Poplar neighborhood and noticed he was being followed on foot.
As soon as the recording begins, the officer approaches him and attempts to take a "selfie" with his "homie", then starts yelling at Gabriel. The video shows the officer, identified as Hoover, get increasingly angry as Gabriel fails to react to his harassment. From the outset of the recording, Hoover directs racial language such as "homie" and "boy" at Gabriel.
Hoover accuses Gabriel of approaching him in obvious contradiction of what the video recording shows. Hoover repeatedly moves to stand and stop in front of Gabriel, as if trying to trigger physical contact and forcing Gabriel to move toward and around him to continue his journey. He constantly flashes Gabriel in the face with his flashlight, holding it within inches of his eyes. When Gabriel asks him to call a "white shirt"—an obvious reference to the uniforms of higher-ranking cops in Philadelphia—Hoover construes it as a racial reference and begins ranting about it, slurring his words and escalating his bullying behavior.
Gabriel ultimately tires of Hoover's abuse, begins calling him "dummy", and attempts to return to his family member's house. Hoover turns to pursue him and ultimately rushes to place himself in Gabriel's path, shouts "Allstar!", then arrests him.
Gabriel was charged with disorderly conduct, according to LackLuster, the YouTube copwatcher who posted the video online.
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