Officer confronts teen after 'F the Police' written on cruiser

Elaina Athans Image
Friday, February 5, 2016
Confrontation with RPD officer
A RPD officer's confrontation with a teen was caught on camera

RALEIGH -- A teen's choice of words written in the snow on a Raleigh police officer's cruiser lead to a confrontation, but did the officer go too far?

The teen wrote "F*** the Police" on a cruiser parked in Sgt. Brian Scioli's driveway. ABC11 has been trying to speak to the teen who wrote the message for days, but we haven't heard back.

The Raleigh Police Department is now investigating the incident.

WATCH THE FULL CLIP HERE; WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE

"I am threatening you. I'm threatening you again," Scioli is heard saying on cell phone video footage of the confrontation. "You better get in that car before I put my hands on you right now!"

"You put your hands on me, that's assault," the teen retorted.

"I'll assault you all I want, man," answered Scioli.

Scioli was seemingly irate after seeing the message scrawled in snow on his police car during the area's recent winter storm.

Teen: "You don't threaten people!"

Scioli: "I'm allowed to threaten people, I'm police."

Teen: "You think 'cause you a cop you can do whatever you want!"

Scioli: "Yea, you vandalized a police car."

Police said under most circumstances, writing something in the snow would not constitute vandalism. During the confrontation, Scioli can be heard threatening to drag the teen out of the car and haul him off to jail.

"They're messing with the wrong guy today," Scioli said in the cell phone video.

The teen, meanwhile, taunts the officer and says he's going to sue. That's when Scioli encourages the teen to call his dad.

The teen's dad ended up convincing his son to apologize for the lewd message. The teen then changed his tone with the officer.

"Sir, I am sorry," he says. "I have complete respect. Would you like me to leave now?"

Police refused to come on camera, but did issue a brief statement regarding the incident:

"The Raleigh Police Department always follows up appropriately when questions concerning an officer's conduct are brought to its attention."

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