A viral video showing Ottawa police officers talking about how the “white man’s days” are over has prompted a professional services investigation from the force.
The video in question appears to show three Ottawa police officers recorded on a security tape speaking to each other while knocking on an individual’s door.
The 50-second excerpt of surveillance tape shows officers talking about the dwindling proportion of white people in North America.
“Our days are done. White man’s day’s done,” one officer says with others in the video seeming to agree.
The people on tape go on to talk about the propensity of “mixed couples” in Toronto, with one saying he told his son to find a “Chinese or Asian girl if he wants to stay in the mix.”
The video, originally posted to TikTok, has since been shared widely on Instagram and Twitter as well.
The Ottawa Police Service said in a statement Wednesday that the force is aware of the video, which is now the subject of an active investigation by the professional standards unit.
The OPS denounced the comments made in the video.
“Regardless of the intent, the comments expressed in the video have negatively impacted community members and Service members. The comments are offensive and they have further eroded public trust as well as internal morale. Such statements are not consistent with the values of the Ottawa Police Service and they have no place in the policing profession,” the statement read.
The footage was shared by a friend of the person who originally recorded the video, according to a post on Instagram.