Police Officers face trouble for Music Video cameo

Taft, Texas Police Chief Paul Rivera is calling for the termination of two city police officers, Sgt. Randy Gipprich and Officer Daryl Sultemeier, following their involvement in local rapper Stubo‘s ‘Swangn’ music video.

Officer Sultemeier is cameoed disapproving as cars drive slowly down the town’s main street, an illegal practice referred to as “swangn.” Sgt. Gipprich blocked traffic to allow for the filming, which had been authorized by a city official. The city official has since received a written reprimand, while both officers in question are expected to be given their punishment shortly.

Cameo starts at 3:03

Over a dozen of the small town’s residents have filed complaints with the City Council. The angry Taft citizens claim the video glorifies drugs, gangs and prostitution, while depicting local landmarks like the Taft high school football stadium, a local barber shop and farms.

“I’m not going to condone anything like that in our community,” a City Councilman said about the town’s negative image in the video. “We have already had a lot of people from Taft that have been caught with drugs. To have this come about puts a damper on our community. It has people saying, ‘What’s going on with your city?’ I have to answer to our residents as to why we let it happen. I don’t think we should have had this video pop out like that.”

Israel Lopez, the music video’s producer dismissed the complaints, saying, “They should have taken the time out to listen to the song and they didn’t. They just gave us permission so we came out here and did it.”