Drag-racing deputies are under scrutiny after they were filmed burning rubber in their patrol vehicles.
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office announced late Monday that it would investigate a viral video showing two deputies drag racing their marked cruisers in front of a cheering crowd at the Yello Belly Drag Strip in Grand Prairie, Texas, the local ABC affiliate reported.
The race took place on Thursday night and was not authorized by the sheriff’s office, which only found out about the incident when footage from the strip began circulating online Friday, according to the report.
The video shows the deputies peeling out with their roof lights flashing as a small crowd roars.
Spectators at the scene came to the defense of the speeding lawmen, saying it was a way to boost community-police relations.
“In the eyes of the public, we saw it as a sign on positivity, based on [what] we have going on in this country,” one participant told the station. “We don’t think it’ll be right if they got in trouble.”