Police officers in Instagram videos under investigation

Shown at club posing with women in handcuffs and inside police cruiser

Toronto police are investigating two uniformed officers for misconduct after videos surfaced online showing them taking a group of women between nightclubs, playing them videos on the in-cruiser computer and posing for photos. The videos, which were uploaded to Instagram Monday afternoon, appear to have been taken in and near a Bloor St. W. nightclub.

The videos have been referred to the Toronto Police Service’s professional standards unit for a review of possible misconduct, spokesperson Const. David Hopkinson wrote in an emailed statement.

“We cannot confirm the identity of (the officers) in the posts but we believe they are Constables from 52 Division,” which covers much of downtown Toronto, he said.

In one of the videos, which shows both of the officers’ faces, an officer is seen holding the arms of a woman who is laughing while she is handcuffed. Another laughing woman can be seen in loose handcuffs putting on lipstick as the other officer looks on.

A similar video is captioned, “Officer, I didn’t know being basic was a crime.” It shows one of the women in handcuffs waving at the camera while another woman, who appears to be wearing a loose-fitting pair of handcuffs, can be seen dancing. The camera then zooms in on one of the officers’ uniforms.

The next video shows a woman getting into a Toronto police car with one woman shouting, “Uber’s here!” while the woman getting into the vehicle jokingly complains about its lack of legroom.

Another, captioned, “Thank you @torontopolice for the safe ride to the bar tonight,” shows the women laughing at a police laptop inside the cruiser that appears to be showing a number of YouTube videos.

In an emailed statement to the Star, Mike McCormack, presi- dent of the Toronto Police Association, said the union is “aware of the Toronto Police Service Professional Standards investigation into allegations of misconduct committed by two members working out of a downtown division,” but added he would not be commenting further.

Hopkinson noted the investigation is still in its early stages. It’s not clear what, if any, disciplinary action the officers might face.

The women in the videos have yet to be identified.