Maryland Police Officer Coughs On Woman Standing Outside Her Home, Incident Caught On Camera

A Baltimore, Maryland, police officer was caught on camera coughing on a woman standing outside her house in the Perkins Homes housing complex.

In a video shot by a neighbor, the officer is seen walking past her coughing several times without even covering his mouth. The woman calls out to the officer with sarcasm and profanity-filled words saying “Hey, Officer Friendly, with the cherry cheeks, cough yo white a-- back where you live at."

"I should call the CDC and let them know he just did some dirty s--- like that," she said referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Police have not yet identified the sergeant but have launched an internal investigation after the video went viral on social media on Tuesday.

“We are deeply disturbed by the conduct of the BPD officer who intentionally coughed without covering while walking through a housing community,” Kobi Little, president of Baltimore city wrote in a statement.

“We urge Commissioner Harrison to make an immediate statement today, to the force and the public, that says that BPD has zero-tolerance for misconduct during this public health crisis and is committed to responding sensibly, compassionately and responsibly as it patrols and answers emergency calls to maintain public health and safety,” he wrote.

“This officer must immediately be pulled from contact with the public and subsequently held accountable for his actions,” he added.

Councilman Bill Henry commented on Little’s Facebook post saying that he had reached out to the commissioner's office and received a response saying, “The Department takes COVID-19 very seriously and we do not condone any action by our members which may be perceived as making light of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“A complete investigation will be conducted and the Department hopes that all of its members and the public will continue to work together with respect as we maneuver forward during this challenging time,” Henry wrote.

"After watching the full video, in its entirety, it is not only disturbing but incomprehensible, especially considering the high-level of strong and clear guidance that we have provided from the beginning, regarding COVID-19," said Commissioner Harrison according to Henry’s statement. "What we saw in the video is alarming because this pandemic is affecting lives not only nationally, worldwide, but right here in our own police department."

In a statement released by the Baltimore police on Monday, the department confirmed that six police officers and two civilian employees tested positive for COVID-19.

“Since the beginning of this pandemic, 305 officers and civilians of the department have been quarantined for some length of time due to potential exposure to COVID-19,” the statement read.