A traffic police officer in Ho Chi Minh City has been caught on camera pointing his gun at two illegal street racers and beating them, an action that has subjected him to criticism on social media.

The traffic police division under the municipal Department of Police has verified the case and identified the policeman in the video clip, a source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper confirmed on Saturday.

The identity of the officer, however, has yet to be publicized.

The incident happened along a section of National Highway 1 in District 12 at around 9:40 pm on Wednesday.

A team of traffic cops were patrolling in the neighborhood when they spotted a group of men who were about to participate in an illegal street race.

The men fled the scene as soon as the officers arrived.

Two of them got on a motorbike and traveled in the wrong the direction as they ran away and were pursued by police forces.

They were running at high speed before crashing into a motorcyclist. The collision knocked them off the vehicle.

In the 30-second CCTV footage, a traffic police officer was seen first hitting one of the street racers in his face and then going on to kick him.

He then pointed his gun at the other suspect before kicking him in the face.

The video clip was then uploaded to social media and attracted a lot of attention.

Many viewers believed it was inappropriate for the officer to have such violent actions.

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