Police Launch Investigation Into Viral Video of Cop Kissing Woman and Joining Her in Backseat of Cruiser (UPDATE)

The clip quickly went viral after being shared on TikTok and Instagram. It's now the subject of a departmental investigation after a slew of people called out the officer's behavior.

September 5, 2023

cop cruiser pictured on highway — Image via Getty/Douglas Sacha

UPDATED 9/5, 10:10 p.m. ET: The cop in question—identified as Francesco Marlett—has been suspended by Prince George County Police.

Fox 5 DC reports that Marlett was previously hit with a suspension in 2016 for “beating his girlfriend's 3-year-old child unconscious after the child supposedly made him angry.”

At the time, Prince George's County State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said, “There is no excuse for Officer Marlett's actions. No matter what may have happened, striking a defenseless child and causing this type of injury is never acceptable."

See original story below.

A police department in Maryland has launched an investigation into a viral video that appears to show a cop kissing a woman before moving things to the backseat of a department cruiser.

The clip, initially shared to Instagram and TikTok (as seen below) before being ripped and shared elsewhere, shows a uniformed officer seemingly engaging in a kiss with the unidentified woman. From there, the two get into the backseat of the officer’s marked SUV. The video then continues for a few more seconds before cutting off.

According to a report from regional outlet WJLA, the clip is believed to have been captured at a park near Oxon Hill High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland. In a statement shared to Twitter and Facebook on Tuesday, the Prince George’s County Police Department said it was "aware" of the footage and had launched an investigation.

"PGPD Executive Command is aware of a video circulating on social media with one of our officers," the department said in its initial statement. "As soon as we became aware earlier today, we opened an investigation to determine the circumstances. Additional information will be released once investigated and confirmed."

Complex has reached out to reps for the Prince George’s County Police Department for additional comment on the status of their investigation. This story may be updated with additional details in the coming days.