DETROIT (WWJ) -- The Detroit Police Department has launched an investigation into an officer's social media post that officials call racially insensitive.
Police chief James Craig says officer Gary Steele -- an 18-year veteran on the force -- made a traffic stop Tuesday night near Joy Road and Stout Street on the city's west side.
Steele, who is white, had pulled over Ariel Moore, a 23-year-old African-American woman for expired license plate tabs. Officials say the traffic stop was fully legal, but a post Steele apparently made on Snapchat has landed him in hot water.
A video with Steele's username -- which was obtained by WXYZ in Detroit -- shows Moore walking away from the scene in freezing cold temperatures. As she walks away, Steele makes two remarks that officials believe are racially charged.
He is heard saying "walk of shame" and "Bye, Felicia."
The video is tagged with two Snapchat filters, one of which says "What Black Girl Magic Looks Like," and the other "Celebrating Black History Month."
Craig is outraged.
"I'm angry because this was a racially insensitive post," he said. "I don't care who disagrees with me about it. You make a statement about Black History Month. This young lady, it was one of our colder days in Detroit."
Craig did point out the legality of the traffic stop and decision to have her car towed, but says "to then put this insensitive post that does not reflect this department makes me angry."
Steele has been reassigned within the department and is restricted from working in the field while an internal investigation is conducted.
"I always talk about due process, Craig said. "This investigation will be fair and it will be thorough."
Body cam footage shows that Steele did offer to give Moore a ride home, but she instead decided to walk to the home located about a block away. Craig still says she should not have been "put in harm's way" on one of the coldest nights of the year.
