A New York City police officer who was caught in a viral video berating an Uber driver and mocking his accent has been placed on modified duty, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said Wednesday.
Patrick Cherry, 39, was assigned to the Joined Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) but is reportedly being transferred to a different position and has been forced to turn in his gun and badge.
Sanjay Seth, a passenger in the Uber cab, recorded the traffic stop on the West Side Highway near 14th Street on Monday afternoon and posted it to YouTube, a local CBS affiliate reported.
The expletive-filled rant lasted for several minutes, which is said to have been spurred by the Uber driver honking at the plainclothes officer for not using his blinker to park.
“Stop it with your mouth. Stop it with your ’For what sir, for what sir?’ Stop it with that [expletive], and realize there are three vehicle traffic violations that you committed, OK?” Officer Cherry, who was on duty at the time, says in the video.
“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? … I don’t know what [expletive] planet you’re on right now!” Officer Cherry says before slamming the driver’s side door in the driver’s face.
According to the video, the Uber driver stayed calm and compliant throughout the altercation.
Uber filed a complaint with the Civilian Complaint Review Board, which could impose additional disciplinary action, the CBS affiliate reported.
Uber spokesman Matt Wing said in a statement: “The behavior in the video is wrong and unacceptable and we appreciate the NYPD investigating the incident. We are in touch with our driver-partner who was subjected to this terrible experience and will continue to provide any support he needs.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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