A viral video making the rounds online shows a Black police officer refusing to physically touch a handcuffed woman whose dress rode up, revealing her intimate areas, saying he was worried she could later accuse him of misconduct.
In the video, the officer can be heard saying, “I’m not touching you. Because then you’re going to be like, ‘Oh this officer did this,’” while explaining that the interaction was being recorded on camera.
The clip has sparked heated debate on social media. Some viewers say the officer was simply trying to protect himself from possible false accusations, while others argue he was refusing to properly do his job while the woman was already in custody.
“Yeah …no! He did the right thing. That was a trap,” one viewer said.
The short video, appearing to be a clip from bodycam footage from 2023, starts with a woman in a cream-colored dress sitting in the back of a patrol car parked by the precinct demanding that the officer who is recording help her pull down the dress.
“I need my dress to be pulled down,” she says. “I am not touching you,” he quickly responds.
“So walk like this? So walk like this?” the woman asks while gesturing to her exposed parts.
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“I am not touching you! I am not touching you because then you’re going to be ‘oh, this officer did this.’ There’s cameras rolling. I am not touching you. Turn around and walk. I am not touching you,” he protested.
Then he orders her to fix herself, but she insists on walking with her body exposed and starts acting belligerently.
Some viewers interpret the officer’s comments as reflecting a deep awareness of the risks Black men can face when interacting physically with white women. To those viewers, his hesitation may seem less about refusing to do his job and more about self-protection in an era where bodycam clips and allegations can spread instantly online.
Most viewers applauded the officer’s response but noted he should’ve called a female officer or a supervisor for help.
However, some viewers believe he was intentionally trying to humiliate her.
“Nah. He could’ve easily pulled her dress down on the sides with the SAME camera filming him denying her. She gave her consent as well. Again, on camera. He did that to humiliate her. And that puts her in harms way to walk into a police station or jail with her vagina exposed,” one viewer wrote. “She should’ve refused to get out the car which would’ve forced him to pull down her dress or get a woman officer.”
“Definitely a double edge sword here,” one viewer argued. “Yeah could have have been a “decent person” and fixed her dress, and caught a case. Or did as he did and keep his hands to himself and send her packing. Can’t be too careful these days.”
