YouTube stop-and-frisk video prompts talks of Philadelphia police harassment

PHILADELPHIA - October 10, 2013 (WPVI) -- Accusations of harassment have Philadelphia police brass looking very closely at a YouTube video.

It happened over a week ago and the police stop would fall under the controversial stop-and-frisk policy in Philadelphia.

In the video, two Philadelphia police officers pull up to two men on a street.

The two startled men wonder what they've done.

"I was walking," one of the men said.

"That's not what I saw," one officer said. "You going to be a violation if you keep running your mouth when I split your wig open."

One of the men provides his identification. Another refuses for at least 10 minutes and protests the treatment from officers.

"Why don't you shut up? Everybody thinks they are a -----lawyer and they don't know jack-," an officer can be heard on the video.

A police spokesman didn't have details of the stop Thursday night, but says Internal Affairs is investigating and any appropriate action will be taken after the investigation is completed.

A source has identified one officer as Philip Nace of the 25th district.

From the video, it appears the officers believed the two men may have been talking with a drug dealer.

But what happened prior to the stop was not captured on video.

One of the men told police he was from Camden but had family in Philadelphia. The officer didn't respond kindly.

"All you do is weaken the country?" one of the officers tells the men.

"How do I weaken the country? By working," one of the men asks.

"No. By freeloading," one of the officers says.

A police spokesman says both men will remain on street duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

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philadelphia news, police, youtube, local/state, chad pradelli

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