Utica- A video recorded by a dash cam in a police cruiser has taken a viral surge on the Internet after the occupants of an SUV involved in a traffic stop claimed the footage shows an officer allegedly planting evidence in their vehicle.

The controversial video,which was uploaded to YouTube by Utica Phoenix, shows an officer removing what looks like a baggie from his back pocket at 1:02. He is then seen moving into the vehicle where he emerges a few seconds later holding a baggie of what is reported to be drugs. The video was obtained by the Utica Phoenix from the Utica Police department after the suspects claimed the contents of the baggie was not theirs and was allegedly planted by one of the police officers involved in the stop.
Utica Phoenix said, "the dash cam footage from the 11-month old traffic stop has been widely distributed throughout the Black community of Utica. It has fueled an onslaught of complaints against the Utica Police of the planting of evidence and other abuses by the local force."
The shortened, and somewhat misleading clip from the video was made public by the Utica Phoenix, who provided a description of what occurred following the traffic stop that is not seen on their version dash cam tape.

The occupants, a woman and a man, are out of the car when frisked by the officers. It appears that a plastic bag is removed from the handcuffed male occupant while he is being frisked. The woman, who is clearly distraught and pleading, is also frisked by the male officer, at one point exposing her underwear and bare backside to the camera.

Initially her hands are free, but after the search, whereupon the officer seems to find something folded in what appears to be a piece of paper, she too is hand cuffed behind her back. She then remains standing behind the vehicle.

WKTV reportsPolice Chief Mark Williams defended the officers saying, "He's going into the car with it and that's what he's doing, it's cold out and he's basically separating the drugs from both defendants."
Williams said the officer knew the camera was on and recording the traffic stop, and was aware that everything going on in front of the police car could be seen by the cruiser's dash cam. As far as the claim by the suspects alleging the officer was planting the baggie in the vehicle, and the subsequent report by the Utica Phoenix, Williams said, "Obviously it's a personal opinion someone has, maybe an agenda. All I can tell you is this; if I have an officer that I feel is planting drugs, he's not going to have a job with the Utica Police Department. It's not in my bests interests to keep someone like that around."
LiveLeak said, "The Utica Phoenix goes to great lengths to avoid specifically accusing the officers of evidence-planting." LiveLeak speculates that "it is possible that the police just completely and egregiously mishandled the evidence they found."
The full 30 minute video, which is part of on-going investigation, has been released by the Utica Police Department, and can be seen here. The incident is being investigated by the FBI.