Another day, another pair of racists filming themselves being racist and posting it to the internet. This story comes from lovely Detroit, Michigan, where two positively repulsive police officers posted video footage of a black woman walking home at night after her car was seized for expired license plates.
At least one of the two Detroit police officers is under internal affairs investigation after Cpl. Gary Steele created a vile Snapchat video Tuesday evening and posted it under his own name. The clip, filmed from the comfort of a warm police car, shows Ariel Moore, 24, walking alone in the snowy night. The officers offer commentary, calling Moore’s cold journey “priceless” and a “walk of shame in the cold.” The clip ends with one of the officers saying, “Bye, Felicia.”
If that wasn’t bad enough, Steele also added the app’s “Celebrating Black History Month” overlay, as well as another that reads “What Black Girl Magic looks like.”
Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ broke the story Wednesday; reporter Simon Shaykhet showed Steele’s nasty video to Moore for the first time, alongside her mother, Monique Mobley.
“What they put on that, that’s racist. They demeaned my child for no reason,” Mobley said.
“I’ve never had this happen to me in my life, so I’m kind of shocked,” Moore added.
Moore declined the ride offered by Steele and his unnamed partner. Considering the less-than-stellar reputation of Detroit law enforcement, and the way the men behaved, one can’t argue with her choice.
WXYZ’s Shaykhet also discovered that Steele faced charges in 2008 for “physically attacking his ex-girlfriend and firing a gun next to her head.” Remarkably, after pleading not guilty to a misdemeanor, Steele was permitted to remain on the force.
In a press conference Thursday, it was revealed that Steele has been stripped of his rank. DPD leaders did not hide their fury.
"I am angry," Detroit Police Chief James Craig said during a press conference Thursday afternoon. "I'm angry because this was a racially insensitive post."
Chief Craig considers Steele's use of "Bye, Felicia" as being "derogatory" and says the inappropriate nod to Black History Month is even more "problematic."
For those unfamiliar with the phrase, “Bye, Felicia” is a quote from the iconic 1995 movie Friday, and is generally used to dismiss and demean its target.
During the press conference, Chief Craig voiced concern about Steele’s previous domestic-violence charges.
Craig said the police officer was hired before his tenure and has a troubled past with the department. He said the officer's previous incidents would have been handled differently if he were in charge at the time.
"He has a troubling history," Craig said. "When I look at his background and the seriousness of what he was charged with, my question is, 'What did the department do?' I can't go back in time and address that issue. It's my issue now, but it does raise a lot of questions for me, especially when you look at his prior conduct."
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"I think after reviewing his history, without going into details of that at this point, there is a pattern, and I'm concerned about that pattern," Craig said. "That's something I'll be looking at and addressing, as well."
Steele, an 18-year veteran with Detroit PD who’s previously trained other officers, will not have any contact with the public until the investigation is completed. Possible punitive actions range from a written reprimand to a suspension to termination, according to Craig. As of this writing, there’s no further information available about the second officer who joined in the taunting.
The chief has personally reached out to Moore and her mother to apologize. Unfortunately, he leaned on an outdated and dehumanizing trope to justify his rage.
"That could have been my daughter," Craig said. "It could have been my sister. It doesn't matter. It could have been anyone's sister. Not acceptable."
Thankfully, Chief Craig reports that the Detroit PD covered all fees involved with the impounding of Moore’s car.