Overview
- A photo posted to an Instagram account on May 4 and widely shared on social media appears to show two uniformed Bronx officers making hand gestures that former police officials say resemble Mac Baller Brims signs.
- The NYPD confirmed the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau is reviewing the image and has not announced any disciplinary action as the inquiry remains open.
- Reporting identified one officer as Shane Cruz and said he was reassigned from the 43rd Precinct to the 73rd Precinct in February, a transfer the department and sources say was unrelated to the photo.
- Unnamed law enforcement sources told reporters the officers were 'messing around' in the image and did not expect it to be public, but former investigators warned throwing gang signs in uniform can amount to conduct unbecoming an officer.
- The Mac Baller Brims are a Bronx subset of the Bloods that federal authorities including the DEA have described as involved in shootings, robberies, and drug trafficking, and the episode raises questions about vetting, departmental standards, and public trust.