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Pennsylvania Cop Called To Diner And Immediately Assumes Black Patron Is Suspect In Viral Video
As the national conversation about policing in America continues to intensify, implicit bias against people of color on the part of police officers is often cited as one of the greatest problems.
A now viral video seems to show that problem at in real time.
In it, a Pennsylvania police officer responded to call at a diner and immediately assumed, erroneously and without evidence, a Black patron in the diner is the culprit.
The video left many online outraged.
The incident occurred at the G&G Restaurant in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh when Officer William Moore responded to a call reporting someone smoking marijuana outside the restaurant.
In the video, Moore told a Black patron, Marcus Townsend, he was called to the restaurant because of him. When Townsend repeatedly asked for an explanation for why Moore was called there and what Townsend supposedly did, Moore refused to respond, instead demanding Townsend show him identification.
When Townsend refused to do so, Moore radioed for another police unit to back him up. After Townsend eventually provided identification, he told Moore he was racially profiling him.
Moore then mocked Townsend, sarcastically shouting:
"Oh yeah cuz I just don't like Black people!"
In a second video, taken on the sidewalk outside after Moore and his back-up officer removed Townsend from the restaurant, Moore could be seen repeatedly radioing for Townsend's criminal history, only to be told he has none.
As Twitter user @davenewworld_2 highlighted in a follow-up tweet, however, Officer Moore does allegedly have a criminal history on file. In 2017, Officer Moore was arrested and charged with physically assaulting and threatening a 14-year-old child.
Charges were later dropped against Moore.
Throughout his encounter with Townsend, many cited Moore appeared to be inebriated, slurring and confusing his words and occasionally seeming to stumble on his feet.
At one point Townsend can be heard asking him:
"Are you drunk, sir?"
Moore also appeared to be drunk during the 2017 incident, according to court papers.
On Twitter, people were outraged by Moore's behavior.
Moore has been placed on paid administrative leave while the incident is investigated.