A self-proclaimed “prankster” with the goal of “making this world a better place” recently attempted to accept Ellen Degeneres’ “dance dare” challenge by showcasing his “Gangnam Style” moves near a group of NYPD cops on Christmas Eve.
Alexander BOK, who has dark skin, was assumedly carrying out Ellen’s dare — which involved dancing behind a stranger and having someone videotape it — in the hopes that his clip would end up on her show.
The video, which now has over 300,000 views on YouTube, shows BOK dancing behind a group of officers at a crosswalk in Midtown Manhattan. The video was allegly shot on December 24, just two days after NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were murdered in Brooklyn.
“What’s wrong with you?” one of the officers asks BOK before holding him against a police van and searching him. “What the f–k are you doing behind me? … What are you dancing in the street for?”
After a few more angry words, the officers push BOK aside and he falls to the ground.
When assessing what the video shows — a young man being unfairly shoved around by a group of police officers for merely dancing in the street — it is important for one to remember the context.
As Reason‘s Anthony Fisher points out, the cops are undoubtedly on edge because of the murders of their fellow officers. Any odd behavior would likely jolt their nerves if not stir their anger and frustration.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that the way they handled the situation was appropriate at all.
It also appears that BOK might be taking advantage of the moment — both the video he captured and the current tension between law enforcement and individuals protesting the Eric Garner and Michael Brown grand jury decisions — in order to get some serious clicks and, as he aspires on his YouTube page, “become a legend.”
That doesn’t mean he is guilty of doing so, but it’s a grain of salt with which to take the video.
Should cops roughly handle a man in the street because he’s dancing? Absolutely not. Should their mistakes be broadcast in a viral video that serves to promote anger against the NYPD in its entirety because of a few dumb officers? It’s up to you to decide.
Here’s BOK’s full video:
