Detective Melissa Mercado, a seasoned seven-year veteran of the New York Police Department’s Special Victims Unit, has been pulled from her active sex crimes cases. The reason? Her unexpected appearance in a provocative music video that has taken the internet by storm, sparking outrage and prompting an internal review by the NYPD.
Mercado, who’s spent years investigating sensitive cases with the NYPD, was recently pulled from her active duties. You’ve all seen her where She traded her badge and uniform for a bra, G-string, and glittery boots in the music video for “Doin That,” a track by rapper S-Quire that’s racked up over 1.5 million views online.
In the video, she’s twerking, pole dancing, and even delivering a lap dance, a far cry from the somber work of the Special Victims Unit. It’s the kind of career pivot left jaws dropping and keyboards buzzing across the internet.
The NYPD didn’t take this lightly. They’ve launched an internal review to determine whether Mercado broke any rules, particularly around off-duty employment. Department policy requires officers to file paperwork and get approval for any side gigs, and it’s unclear whether Mercado dotted those i’s and crossed those t’s before stepping into the spotlight. For a deeper dive into how the NYPD handles off-duty work, check out this overview of its policies.
So far, Mercado’s keeping mum. She’s scrubbed her social media presence and hasn’t made a peep about the scandal. It’s a smart move, perhaps, considering the video’s still out there for anyone curious enough to track it down. (Fair warning: it’s not hard to find “Doin That” on platforms like YouTube if you want to see what’s got everyone talking.)
What’s next for Mercado?
The stakes are high. The NYPD’s investigation could end with anything from a warning to suspension or even her walking away from the force entirely. Seven years of service might buy her some leniency, but the department’s also got to weigh how this plays with public trust, especially in a unit as delicate as Special Victims.
Cases like this aren’t unheard of; off-duty conduct has tripped up officers before. For more on how police behavior off the clock can stir the pot, this piece on police accountability offers some solid context.
