A Pennsylvania officer told a teen ‘it’s a warm day to be wearing that jacket,’ and the stop ended with him in handcuffs

A teen in Pennsylvania was recording a police officer approaching him from behind when the encounter turned into a traffic stop that ended with him handcuffed in the back of a cruiser, as reported by the Daily Dot. The footage was first posted by the teen’s father before spreading further online. The video opens with the officer commenting from behind the teen, “It’s a warm day to be wearing that jacket.” The teen turns his camera toward himself and keeps walking.

The officer stays behind him, warning, “You’re going to get hit by a car here,” while pointing toward what appears to be an oncoming vehicle. As a car can be heard nearby, the officer tells him to stop, saying, “I’m asking you to stop.” The teen keeps walking and recording, and the officer then grabs him by the shoulder of his jacket while repeating the same request.

The teen turns the camera on his own face at that point, visibly caught off guard but staying composed. The officer continues holding onto him and explains, “I’m doing a traffic stop on you. You walked across the road in front of a car.” Under Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Section 3543, pedestrians crossing a roadway at any point other than a marked or unmarked crosswalk must yield the right of way to vehicles, and violations can result in a citation.

He is placed in handcuffs

Moments later, the teen is shown seated in the back of a police cruiser, phone still in hand, revealing that he has been handcuffed. Officers physically restraining people who appear calm and compliant have drawn scrutiny in other cases too, including leaked bodycam footage of a YouTuber being grabbed by an officer despite walking with his arms at his sides.

The teen’s father, Jessie Lopez Sr., said his son had the hood up due to eczema, explaining that direct sunlight aggravates the condition. Eczema is a chronic skin condition that can cause inflammation, itching, and irritation, and sun exposure is a commonly cited trigger for flare-ups in people who have it. “Although it was warm outside, there was a legitimate medical reason for him wearing his hood,” Lopez Sr. said.

He added that he is treating the incident as a teaching moment for both of them. “This was a lesson for both of us. I need to make sure he knows how to interact with police, even when he feels he’s done nothing wrong. Things can escalate fast. He ended up handcuffed and detained because he didn’t want to stop and answer their questions,” he said.

Public reaction to the video was largely critical of the officer’s approach, with one viewer writing, “He clearly doesn’t know much about youth of today! They wear hoodies and joggers in 90-degree heat!!!” Another praised how the teen handled himself throughout, calling his composure “impressive.” The footage begins after the officer had already approached the teen, and the events leading up to the interaction were not captured.

The circumstances surrounding the stop have not been independently verified.