The anonymous teen posted the clip on Reddit Sunday, captioning his post, “Fairfax Police Department pointing their guns and threatening to kill me for recording their arrest last night.” His video later surfaced on Twitter, where it has racked up 1 million views.
The teen’s cell phone video shows him approaching the scene of an arrest. He could be heard muttering behind the camera, “Yo, what the f**k.”
A female and male officer noticed him and quickly began shouting.
“Hey, stop him,” barked the male officer.
The female officer walked toward the teen with her gun drawn. “Stop right there,” she yelled.
“Why you pointing the gun on me?” the teen asked.
“Because you have a weapon,” said the officer.
“What weapon? What weapon?” he yelled back.
The male officer then approached from another side, pointing his gun as well. Their screams grew louder as they ordered the teen to get “down on his knees” and “down on the ground” before the video cut off.
The Fairfax County Police Department confirmed to Newsweek that officers were detaining two juveniles who allegedly threatened a hostess with “what appeared to be a handgun” at an iHop restaurant on Saturday night.
“While detaining them, a third subject, who the officers believed to be involved, approached with something in his hands,” a police spokesperson said.
“Due to the nature of the call and not locating a weapon, officers ordered the subject to the ground at gunpoint. Officers determined the juvenile was holding a cell phone and filming. The three juveniles were detained and later released to their parents.”
The spokesperson added that “as with all pointing of a firearm events, the incident is under review.”
Jeff McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, also told Newsweek the incident was being internally investigated and monitored by the Independent Police Arbiter.
“It is of paramount importance that FCPD officers follow departmental policies and procedures while also protecting the safety of all our residents and meeting the expectations of our community,” said McKay.
This video comes on the heels of a major scandal for the Fairfax Police Department. A federal lawsuit has accused two former officers of protecting a sex trafficking ring in exchange for sex from victims, while then-Police Chief Ed Roessler allegedly helped cover up their misdeeds.
Public trust of law enforcement in the U.S. fell to 39 percent last year, down from 50 percent in 2018, according to a survey from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. The survey reported a growing sense of “pessimism” toward nearly every traditional American institution.
