Drag racing on empty public streets in the middle of the night is bad enough. Racing on a narrow residential street in the late afternoon isn't just stupid, it's terrifically irresponsible and dangerously reckless. That's what makes this video so shocking, because the exceptional lack of judgment seen here comes from people entrusted to exhibit the exact opposite. Fortunately, only minor injuries to those involved were reported in this mess.

Here's the situation as told by the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in a video briefing from April 30. At approximately 5:15 pm local time on April 22, two police cars were stopped at the 1400 block of Anacostia Avenue, a residential street on the northeast side of the city. Two officers were in each car, and the video briefing goes on to say officers "engaged in a reckless driving incident" resulting in one car striking the other. All four officers suffered minor injuries, with WUSA reporting they were treated at a local hospital. Both cruisers sustained heavy damage and were towed from the scene.

The exact details leading up to the crash aren't known. The bodycam footage at the top of this article shows perspective from the passenger in the striking vehicle. At the 1:57 mark, we see the driver turning hard to the left as the driver side of the second cruiser comes into view through the windshield. Did the second car lose control? Was the driver making a left turn, unaware the other cruiser was barreling ahead? WUSA states one car cut the other off, with Fox5 news stating the cars were traveling at least 60 mph on the 25-mph residential street.

Gallery: 2020 Ford Police Interceptor Utility

The official MPD briefing states that one probationary officer was already fired as a result of the crash. The other three are in a non-contact status while the Office of the Attorney General reviews the case. It will then go to MPD internal affairs for an investigation to determine if charges are warranted. Fortunately, damage was relegated to the two police cars and a private fence in the area.

It's certainly no secret that relationships between the public and law enforcement are presently strained in the US, and that's putting it mildly. We hope cooler heads on all sides of this controversy prevail, but yeah, cops drag racing in neighborhoods they're supposed to protect? That's not helpful at all.

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