A Hank Schrader-looking plainclothes cop asked an Uber driver how long he’d been in the country as part of a vicious tirade during a traffic stop.
According to passenger Sanjay Seth, who recorded the video, the officer began parallel parking without turning on his blinker; when the driver honked, the cop came over and unleashed a torrent of abuse at the driver. He wrote on the YouTube page that the incident happened on Monday in the West Village, and Internal Affairs told the Daily News they’re investigating after a complaint was filed.
“I don’t know where you’re coming from, where you think you’re appropriate in doing that; that’s not the way it works. How long have you been in this country?” the cop yells directly into the driver’s face.
The cop repeatedly mocks the driver’s accent and broken English, and tells him that the only reason he doesn’t arrest him is because he’s not important enough.
The cop was obviously looking for a fight, as at one point earlier in the video, the driver mildly says “okay” and the cop explodes: “You gonna let me fucking finish?! Stop interrupting me! Who do you think you’re talkin’ to here?”
The kicker, at the end of the rant, is when the cop finally addresses the passengers and asks if the driver is “taking time out your day.”
When reached for comment, Uber told ANIMAL: “We are disheartened by this officer’s behavior and appreciate the NYPD investigating the incident. We have reached out to the driver to provide any support he needs.”
(Photo: Sanjay Seth)
