A white New York cop is being investigated after he was filmed pouring water over what is believed to be a legal street barbecue.
The Instagram video, captioned ‘racist cop pours water on cookout grill’, starts with the officer approaching the group with a large bottle of water.
He then proceeds to pour the entire contents of the bottle onto the barbecue in Harlem as the stunned crowd watch on.
This is the moment New York locals turn on an officer who shut down what is believed to be a legal street barbecue
The Instagram video starts with the male uniformed cop, flanked by his deputy, approaching the group with a large bottle of water
At one point, the furious attendants appear to throw empty bottles at the officer who walks away calmly without offering an explanation for his actions.
‘Officer, you’re showing some real disrespect,’ yells one onlooker while another asks him: ‘You feel better now?’
As he strolls back to his patrol car, a man tells him: ‘There’s kids out here and everything, you’re crazy.’
The cop eventually asks the cameraman to have a look the video, which has been viewed by more than 20,000 on Instagram, but he refuses.
The commenters were almost unanimous in their criticism of the cop, with some saying he had ‘nothing better to do’.
‘Normal day in the life of those who live in the inner city, under constant police persecution and a different set of laws for #black people,’ says evolvefire.
The cameraman, who goes by the Instagram handle itsgdott, also uploaded a video of them preparing for the barbecue.
At one point, the furious attendants appear to throw empty bottles at the officer who walks away calmly
An NYPD spokesman told New York Post the cop’s commanding officer has been made aware of the incident.
According to the New York City fire code: ‘Cooking with a charcoal barbecue is legal on a terrace or in a backyard — but not on a balcony or roof. There must be a 10-foot clearance between the grill and the building.’
It adds: ‘Keep all barbecues at least 10 feet from anything that can easily catch fire, including building walls, deck surfaces, furniture or other items.’