The Riverside Police Department has launched an investigation after a video emerged showing one of its officers destroying a man's skateboard while they were away from home.
In Viral VideoAccording to the video's narrator, which had more than 370,000 views as of Friday, half a dozen officers pulled into the driveway of the girlfriend of a man they were trying to talk to. When I knocked on the door, no one was home.
One of the officers finds a skateboard on the property and gets on it. “Do an ollie,” someone is heard saying in the background, referring to a skateboarding trick. The officer tries to do the trick several times.
Another officer then takes a hammer and stomps on the skateboard before breaking it in half.
The police department issued a Report One of its officers admitted to damaging the skateboard. The video and statement did not explain why police wanted to speak with the woman's boyfriend, who lived at the home.
“Our department is taking this matter seriously and the Chief [Larry] Gonzalez has launched a thorough internal investigation to determine the facts,” the statement said. “We hold our officers to the highest standards and are committed to maintaining your trust through accountability and professionalism.”