A Lexington, Kentucky police officer came under scrutiny after an internal investigation found he had shared racist and inflammatory artificial intelligence-generated videos, including one referencing George Floyd, in private messages with another police officer.
According to departmental records, Joshua Yeager resigned on Dec. 2, 2025, less than a month after the Lexington Police Department disciplinary review board recommended that Yeager be terminated from his post.
Yeager, who had been with the department since 2022, was investigated after the department’s Public Integrity Unit, its internal affairs division, began an investigation into a different, unnamed officer. During that inquiry, officers found racist and inappropriate videos Yeager had shared in a private chat while off duty, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
‼️RACISTS IN SUITS: A Black man asks two white “officers” a simple question — can you say anything positive to the Black youth in this neighborhood?
They don’t hesitate. No encouragement. No humanity. Just a EVIL stare — and they walk away.
When RACISTS wear a badge, hatred… pic.twitter.com/cZo7asHtmq
— i Expose Racists & Pedos (@SeeRacists) December 19, 2025
One video that Yeager shared depicted a white, uniformed police officer ordering a coffee in a coffee shop. The barista sets the coffee down, and the officer yells, “It’s black,” then stands up and shoots the coffee with his firearm. Yeager justified his actions by telling investigators that he shared the video only because he thought AI had become very “realistic” and not to dehumanize anyone.
“It was more like, ‘Oh crap, look how real it is, and look what people are saying,’” Yeager told investigators in an interview. “I think I interpret the coffee one a little differently. I think that’s more dehumanizing toward police,” he added.
A separate Instagram video showed a white person pouring out water in front of Black African villagers. “Again, that was when, like, ‘holy crap, look how realistic this is becoming,’ and thinking that’s what’s going on,” Yeager told investigators.
Yeager said his interpretation of the videos came from the shock factor, not because he agreed with them. “It was more like, ‘Oh crap, look at this AI, look how real it is, and look what’s going on,’” he added in an interview.
Investigators noted that while Yeager did not create the videos, he knowingly shared them and was responsible for the content regardless of authorship.
Investigators said Yeager admitted he had grown “too comfortable” in private exchanges with other officers and did not fully consider how the content could be received. He said he has since reduced his use of social media and reflected on the impact of his actions.
The Public Integrity Unit determined that the videos, particularly the AI-generated George Floyd video, harmed public trust in the department and violated policies requiring officers to avoid conduct that reflects poorly on themselves or the department.
In an unrelated incident in Lexington, shots were fired at a vehicle on Centre Parkway around 7:45 p.m. Sunday, police said.
Officers responded to reports of gunfire and determined that a car had been struck. No injuries were reported, according to WTVQ.
Investigators are working to identify a suspect and determine a motive behind the shooting. No additional details were immediately released.
