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NYPD Cop Who Berated Uber Driver Is Reassigned

A New York police detective who was heard on video berating an Uber driver will be transferred from the police anti-terrorism division.

Patrick Cherry was also stripped of his gun and badge after the video went viral and caused embarrassment to police.

"No good cop should watch that without a wince. Because all good cops know that officer just made their jobs a little bit harder," Police Commissioner William Bratton said.

"In any kind of encounter, discourtesy like that and language like that is unacceptable."

Mr Cherry pulled over the Uber driver on Monday in Manhattan.

It is not clear exactly what spurred the traffic stop, but Mr Cherry is seen on the video accusing the driver of committing various traffic violations while the detective tried to park his car.

Mr Cherry swears, shouts at the driver and insults his accented English as the driver gives compliant responses, calling the detective "sir" and apologising at one point for interrupting to say, "OK".

"I don't care what you have to say. Do you understand that?" the detective says at one point.

At another point Mr Cherry asks: "How long have you been in this country?"

"The only reason you're not in handcuffs going to jail ... is because I have things to do," the officer yells.

"This isn't important enough for me. You're not important enough."

The three-and-a-half minute video appeared to have been captured by a passenger in the car, who commiserated with the driver when the officer had stepped away.

There has been no public comment from Mr Cherry.

City Detectives' Endowment Association President Michael J Palladino called Mr Cherry "a person of good character and an excellent detective".

"He really should not be judged by one isolated incident," he said.