An NYPD detective who went viral for appearing in a raunchy rap video while twerking in a thong and skimpy bra has been removed from her investigative role in the Special Victims Division, police sources have revealed.
Detective Melissa Mercado, a seven-year NYPD veteran, is now under review, according to an NYPD spokeswoman.
The department has not confirmed whether Mercado violated any specific rules by participating in the video for the song “Doin That” by Hempstead rapper S-Quire.
The video’s director, Pitch Perfect, told TMZ that Mercado was hired through a casting agency, and neither he nor the rapper knew she was a police detective.
“None of us were aware of … what her main profession was,” Pitch Perfect explained.
The video, which was posted on WorldStarHipHop, did not identify Mercado by name or show her in anything linked to the NYPD. However, it quickly circulated among police officers.
Retired NYPD Special Victims Division Chief Michael Osgood criticized Mercado’s involvement, calling it “disturbing” for a sex crimes investigator to participate in a video that some found degrading to women.
“I think this conduct is unbecoming a police officer,” Osgood said. “I find it wrong morally if you’re a Special Victims detective.“
Eric Sanders, a retired police officer and lawyer, also called for Mercado to face disciplinary action.
“She should be modified,” Sanders stated. “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.“
Records show Mercado, a 3rd-grade detective assigned to the Bronx Special Victims unit, earns $144,000 annually and joined the force in 2018.
Since her appearance in S-Quire’s video, Pitch Perfect claimed Mercado has become a sought-after dancer for other rap videos.
“Everyone loved this model,” the director said, with S-Quire agreeing and calling Mercado a “beautiful woman.”
“I’ve had tons of artists reach out trying to get her in their video,” Pitch Perfect told TMZ, adding with a laugh, “If you look at it like that, it might be a great thing for her. I think she wins.“
“She was one of the stars” of the “Doin That” video, the director added.
Mercado has not responded to requests for comment. By Saturday, the video had amassed over 1.6 million views.
