A disturbing video shot by Alexandria Accountability was posted across social media
platforms and has come to the attention of the Alexandria NAACP. The video appears to
show an interaction between an Alexandria Police Officer and a citizen who spotted a
fake torso in the front passenger seat of another Alexandria Police Officer’s vehicle.
Spotted in the historically Black neighborhood of Parker-Gray, the controversial in
question was allegedly in plain view for anyone walking on the busy sidewalk to see.
Specifically, the offending figure in question had a pig’s head and wore a tee shirt which
read “I Can’t Breathe” — the final refrain tragically uttered by victims of police brutality the
late George Floyd and the late Eric Garner.
We strongly believe that the Police Officer’s behavior toward the videographer who
questioned the disgraceful display was inappropriate. Citizens viewing this interaction
could have a diminished trust in the Alexandria Police Department, because the video
reinforces the unhealthy “us verse them” perception that many residents already harbor.
Are some Alexandria Police Officers untrained on how to properly engage with residents,
or is the Police Department’s training seriously deficient?
What is relevant now is discovering whether a toxic environment now exists within
the Police Department, which would allow an officer to feel comfortable making a public
mockery of victims of police brutality. Such an environment does not reflect the values of
the Alexandria NAACP, or the values of the residents of Alexandria. We deserve answers,
but more importantly we demand accountability and transparency. We are calling on the
City Manager and Police Chief to promptly discuss the results of their investigation with
us to help ensure that justice is done and that this matter is not swept under the rug and
easily forgotten.