Detective Melissa Mercado, an NYPD investigator who gained viral attention for her role as a stripper in a provocative rap video, is now under internal review and has been temporarily removed from handling active sex crime cases.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ that Mercado, known as a skilled investigator, is no longer assigned to active cases within the Special Victims Unit, which deals with sexual assault allegations, as the department assesses whether she followed proper procedures. Specifically, officials are reviewing whether she filed the required off-duty employment paperwork, a mandatory step for NYPD officers engaging in side jobs.
At this time, it remains unclear if Mercado violated any department policies by appearing in the video for “Doin That” by NYC rapper S-Quire. In the video, she is seen in a bra and G-string, dancing in a nightclub’s VIP section, and lingerie-clad on a bed. The New York Post first reported on the NYPD’s review of the situation.
According to S-Quire and the video’s director, Pitch Perfect, Mercado was brought on through a casting agency, and they claim they had no idea she was an NYPD officer at the time of filming.