VIDEO: Officer appears to watch movie while driving

A police department in Missouri is investigating after a civilian took video of what appears to be a movie playing on an officer’s patrol car laptop while he drives down a roadway.

The person who took the video, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was driving on Kearney Street in Springfield, Missouri when she saw the officer’s laptop screen pointed toward him as he drove.

She said she watched for a few moments before recording, to be sure her eyes did not deceive her.

In the video, the officer appears to be facing forward most of the time, but there is a moment where he seems to glance at the screen. Missouri state law does not address distracted driving for drivers over 21-years-old, so even if the officer was distracted, it would not technically be against the law.

In a statement to FOX 13 News, however, the Springfield Police Department said it is conducting an internal investigation and, if it is found the officer was watching a movie while driving, he would be disciplined.

A laptop is standard in modern police cruisers, and they often remain powered on when the vehicle is in motion. SPD says the laptops are normally used to see dispatch calls and to write reports.