Police officer posts racist video of black woman in freezing cold after seizing her car

Gary Steele has been demoted from corporal to officer and faces further investigation over Snapchat upload

A Detroit police officer has been demoted and is under investigation after posting a racist video of a black woman walking home in the freezing cold after he had seized her car.

Officer Gary Steele uploaded the footage of Ariel Moore struggling through the snow with the captions: “What black girl magic looks like” and “Celebrating Black History Month”.

In it, either Officer Steele or his partner – as yet unnamed – can be heard saying: “Walk of shame”.

The other responds: “In the cold.”

The incident started after the two policemen pulled over the 23-year-old for having an expired registration on Tuesday night.

Body cam footage is said to show them impounding the vehicle and offering Miss Moore a lift home, which she declines, saying her home is just a block away.

The video, uploaded to Snapchat, shows the officers speaking as she walks away.

It ends with one of the two saying, “Bye, Felicia”.

“I’ve never had this happen to me in my life, I’m kind of shocked — I don’t really know how to feel right now. I’m still trying to take it in,” Miss Moore said after being shown the clip by local TV station WXYZ.

Her mother added: “What they put on there, that’s racist. They’re demeaning my child for no reason.”

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said he agreed with the assessment.

“I am angry,” he told reporters. “I’m angry because this was a racially insensitive post.

“On top of that, she’s walking on a very cold night. It’s dark, and, in my view, she’s in harm’s way. It could’ve been my daughter, my sister. It doesn’t matter, it could have been anyone.”

Officer Steele – an 18-year veteran of Detroit Police Department – has since been placed on restricted duties, demoted from corporal to officer, and is undergoing an internal investigation, along with his partner.

It has also emerged that this was not the first time he has been at the centre of controversy. In 2008 he was charged with attacking his ex-girlfriend and firing a gun next to her head, for which he took a misdemeanour plea that allowed him to stay on the force.