A video circulating among San Jose police is raising some questions and concerns among the rank and file. Damian Trujillo reports.
A video circulating among San Jose police is raising some questions and concerns among the rank and file.
The video shows a police sergeant performing a series of martial arts moves with two police batons in full uniform. The video is set to a song titled "Mortal Kombat" and is now being investigated by the department's internal affairs office.
The video shows Sgt. Eddie Chan showing his skill with two police batons to the theme from the video game and movie Mortal Kombat. It has made its rounds with many in the police department and some are now worried about the message it sends.
"I think the video was irresponsible, certainly in today's climate," said Rob Millard, a retired San Jose police lieutenant who used to supervise Chan.
Millard, who also taught defensive tactics to police officers, said the moves displayed in Chan's video were never in his lesson plan.
"Not even as a fun warmup," Millard said. "We wouldn't do something like this."
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NBC Bay Area reached out to Chan for comment, but was referred to a police spokesman. The department will only say that it has seen the video and is now conducting an internal investigation.
Some of Chan's colleagues are asking why he recorded the video while in uniform and worry what example it sets for the rookies he supervises on his shift.
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"That's nothing we need to see from police," Rev. Jethro Moore of the NAACP said of Chan's video.
Moore has been a strong critic of police tactics and is also concerned about the message the video sends.
"I feel it's a bad place to be if he feels like he's going into work to be in combat with someone," Moore said.
The police union said it cannot comment because it is now an internal affairs matter.
Nobody believes there is any crime made in the video, but many officers told NBC Bay Area this is not the image they want the public to have of their department.
