Caught on Camera: NYPD Detective Road Rages at Uber Driver

Patrick Cherry, a New York Police detective assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with top secret security clearance is facing suspension, reassignment and loss of his clearance after an incident with an Uber driver Monday that a passenger captured on video, reports KTLA 5.

The passenger, Sanjay Seth, posted the video on YouTube and it has gone viral. In the video description, Seth explained the altercation:

“Police abuse of Uber driver in New York City. In an unmarked car, the policeman was allegedly attempting to park without using his blinker at a green light. (His reverse lights weren’t on. Likely double parked without hazards on.) The Uber driver pulled around and gestured that he should use his blinker, casually and non-offensively, and kept driving us. The policeman quickly pulls up behind us and this is what happens.”

Watch for yourself (warning: extreme profanity and abusive language).

The unmarked car Cherry used to pull over the Uber driver doesn’t belong to the NYPD, the Daily News reports. Cherry was on his way to work after seeing another police officer, who was in the hospital.

Seth posted video of the exchange on multiple social media accounts. On his Facebook page, he wrote, “Our Uber driver, Humayun, was abused by a police officer today in New York. The rage, door slamming, throwing items into the car, threatening arrest without cause was bad enough — but the officer’s remarks at the end really took it to another level.”

Humayun has filed a complaint, and the NYPD said that the CCRB, an independent city agency with subpoena power, has taken over the investigation.

In a statement, Uber spokesman Matt Wing said,

“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.”

As someone who was recently on the receiving end of a particularly nasty police officer’s rantings, I empathize with Humayun and his passengers. Good for them for remaining calm and kudos to Seth for recording the incident.

Additional Resources:

Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces

Police State – Ten Secrets The Police Don’t Want You To Know! “How To Survive Police Encounters!”

Police State USA: How Orwell’s Nightmare is Becoming Our Reality