The curvy NYPD detective who went viral after appearing in a raunchy rap video, twerking in a thong and revealing bra, will reportedly no longer handle active cases with the Special Victims Division, which investigates sex crimes, police sources said. Melissa Mercado's actions were under review, an NYPD spokeswoman confirmed, the New York Post reported.
However, the department did not immediately clarify whether the seven-year veteran had violated any rules by appearing in the music video "Doin That" by Hempstead rapper S-Quire. Pitch Perfect, the video's director, told TMZ that both he and the rapper had hired Mercado through a casting agency and were unaware that she was a cop.
Sidelined for Appearing in Raunchy Video
"None of us were aware of ... what her main profession was," the director said. The video was shared online by WorldStarHipHop. Mercado was not identified by name in the clip—though it quickly circulated among NYPD officers—and she was not wearing anything that would link her to the police force.
Retired NYPD Special Victims Division Chief Michael Osgood slammed the video, calling it especially troubling for a sex crimes investigator to appear in video that he deemed degrading to women.
"I think this conduct is unbecoming a police officer," he said. "I find it wrong morally if you're a special victims detective."
Retired police officer and attorney Eric Sanders stated that Mercado should face disciplinary action. "She should be modified," Sanders said. "What she did is inconsistent with the values of being a police officer. Police work is a noble profession and it's supposed to look a certain way."
Mercado is seen in the video sexting it up with hip-hop artist S-Quire in a music video for his song 'Doin That.' As Mercado flaunts her voluptuous curves in in a G-string bra, dollar bills are seen being showered on her near-nude body.
"I want to tell you about a girl named Keisha," raps S-Quire, sporting dark sunglasses and licking his lips as he watches her from the side of the stage. "A** is thick. Just want to smash it quick."
As Raunchy as It Gets
The rapper belts out explicit lyrics about 28-year-old Mercado engaging in sexual acts. She then gives him a personal lap dance before the scene shifts to an apartment, where she is stretched out on a bed.
Although the dancer's name isn't mentioned in the video, fellow NYPD officers quickly identified her last week, sharing shocking remarks as they circulated the video link.
S-Quire, a musician from Hempstead, Long Island, whose real name is Phabian Winfield, claimed he did not know Mercado was a police officer until Daily Mail reached out to him late Tuesday.
He referred to her as a friend and said he only knew her by her nickname, Honeybee, which also happens to be Mercado's social media handle.
"I didn't know what she did for a living," he told the outlet, adding, She doesn't seem like a detective. When you think of detectives, you think of Special Victims Unit on the TV. This is interesting. I'm kind of blown away."
The video has also made its young temptress a hot topic within the NYPD, where officers have not only circulated the clip but also shared other raunchy photos Mercado previously posted on Instagram and Facebook.
The detective, a mother to a young son, deleted her Instagram account earlier this week as the viral attention surrounding her performance grew.
