News

BPD launches investigation into questionable video

BOSTON — The Boston Police Department has launched an internal investigation into whether a questionable video was created by or shared by members of the Boston Police.

Boston 25 News obtained the video from a source inside the department.

We blurred out the face of everyone in the video, which appears to be a movie trailer spoof with images of an officer. It ends with images of African Americans and the tag line “black people have met their match.”

“We don’t know where it is, or was somebody spoofing on the person or whatever. But when the statement was made towards the end is very disturbing and should be clearly denounced,” Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts President Darnell Williams said.

BPD tells Boston 25 News another officer alerted them to the video Thursday morning and an internal affairs investigation was launched.

"The investigation into its origin and the officer depicted in the video remains active and ongoing. The content of the video is upsetting and not in keeping with the Department's philosophy of community policing,” a statement from the Boston Police Department said.

Mayor Marty Walsh tells Boston 25 if the internal affairs investigation finds an officer responsible for spreading the messages in the video, he will demand discipline.

“We have no place for this in our Boston Police Department and if these videos are accurate, we have to take some swift action,” Walsh said. “We have a person who’s a sworn officer who took an oath to protect the City of Boston and the people of our city. That means when they’re off duty as well.”

Urban League President Darnell Williams is part of a task force that works with BPD in the community. He said he agrees swift action is needed, especially to preserve the work they've done in police relations.

“It’s just very disturbing as a black man because I’m one of those potential victims,” he said. “We’ve gone so far backwards. We make 16 steps forward and we stake 600 backwards with this kind of stuff.”

The Boston Police Department statement reads in full: “The Boston Police Department expects all our officers to exercise sound judgement and behave in a manner that reflects positively on themselves and the Department. Officers are expected to act in a way that fosters strong community relationships and trust across the city.”