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WATCH: Chicago Cop Caught Sleeping Inside Police SUV

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Police Department has launched an investigation after an officer was caught on tape sleeping while inside a department SUV.

Video of the sleeping cop was posted online on Saturday, and has been viewed more than 710,000 times, and shared more than 25,000 times.

It was filmed in broad daylight at 63rd Street and Campbell Avenue. An officer wearing sunglasses was spotted sitting in the driver's seat of a police SUV, and was sleeping soundly.

The man narrating the video said people get shot all the time in that area, and a young person was shot and killed for his phone not too long ago at that same intersection.

The man who recorded the video walked up to the SUV's open passenger window, and took a close-up video of the sleeping officer, who never budges.

The video shows the officer sleeping for a full 50 seconds, but it's clear from the setup of the video that the officer had been sleeping before the camera was turned on, and continued to sleep afterward.

Former police superintendent Richard Brezczek says, unless the officer had a medical issue, there's simply no excuse.

"You have to be alert all the time and the antithesis of being alert is being asleep," said Brezczek. "You're really putting yourself in an extremely dangerous situation."

The Chicago Police Department issued a statement that it is aware of the video, and is investigating. The officer could face disciplinary action.

"The incident is not in keeping with the high expectations placed on officers," the department said in the statement.

Englewood residents said much the same.

"If you want society to see you as somebody that's trying to protect and uphold the law, then why are you our here sleeping?" said James Davies.

"If he's asleep, what's he working for? I can't go to my job and sleep," said Deandre Turner.

Police officers get two rest breaks and a lunch break every shift, but even then, sleeping in a squad car isn't permitted.

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