Jennifer Escalera, a deputy with Harris County Constable Precinct 5 in Texas, is under fire after a TikTok video she posted, and later deleted, went viral online.
The video, showing her in uniform, carried a caption, “Didn’t get cracked last night, so everyone is getting a ticket,” which sparked a huge backlash online. Fox 26 even reported she is under investigation following the viral video.
While parts of her uniform were blurred in the clip, her nametag remained clearly visible.
ALSO READ| Viral TikTok shows 'little thief' fighting shoppers, riding escalator with swag
{{/usCountry}}ALSO READ| Viral TikTok shows 'little thief' fighting shoppers, riding escalator with swag
{{/usCountry}}The content spread rapidly on social media, and both citizens and netizens indicated indignation at the level of professionalism of the posting. The video, which apparently was to be a joke, has cast a shadow on the matter of accountability and character in law enforcement.
“Our administration is aware, and internal affairs has opened an investigation. We have no other comment at this time,” a spokesperson for the Harris County Constable Precinct 5 told Fox 26.
Texas officer’s TikTok post sparks local outrage
Escalera was sworn into the force in September 2021, according to an earlier Facebook post by the precinct. Since joining, she has remained an active user on TikTok, where she provides a view of her life in uniform and as a mother. Some of her posts have her preparing to go to work.
One such post showed her preparing for work with the overlayed text: “contemplating if I really need this job, knowing that I do.”
“I think it’s really inappropriate and disrespectful,” Alex Fitch, a local resident, told Fox 26.
“Not as much distrust, but you can’t rely on them. It makes them look unprofessional when they start posting videos like that. You can’t take them seriously.”
Fitch also added, “Then they wonder why, when you see them, they say, ‘Why don’t you respect me?’ or, ‘Why are you talking to me like that?’ Well, you don’t treat yourself like a woman, and you ain’t treating yourself like a police officer.”