A video showing a baby being left unattended at a Chinese buffet in Ohio has sparked a social media outcry, with viewers taking aim at both the parents and the person who filmed the child.

Shannon Culley, from Sandusky, Ohio, was eating at the China Dragon Buffet restaurant near his house when he noticed a couple get up and leave their baby in a carrier in a booth while they went to get food.

Culley started filming on his cellphone, claiming the pair were gone for four minutes, and posted the video to his Facebook account.

The clip was quickly circulated, receiving over 4 million views, and came to the attention of police.

Wrong or right?: A Sandusky man having dinner at a Chinese restaurant this week took video of a couple who left their baby in a booth for four minutes while filling their plates

The parents - who have not been identified - returned to the table after about four minutes, Culley claimed. Police were notified of the situation after the video went viral

The Perkins Township Police Department launched an investigation into whether the video is evidence of child endangering, Fox 8 News reported.

'Can we say because the parent walked out of the screen shot of this video and left the child unattended in the booth that there was a significant risk of injury to that child? I'm not sure we can,' Chief Ken Klamar told the station.

The mother of the child told police that the video was shot to deliberately keep her out of the frame, and that she was not far from the booth.

'She alleges the person who took it intentionally moved the camera, if you will, in a way that she wouldn't be seen on it to make it look worse than what it was,' Klamar said.

Investigating: Chief Ken Klamar said the man who filmed the video should have just called 911

However, a separate group of viewers called into question the reason Culley first started filming, saying it was not his business to pry into the parenting of other people.

Culley then removed the video from his Facebook on Wednesday as the debate continued to rage.

It is unclear whether any charges will be brought against the parents, but Erie County Children Services has opened an investigation.

Scene: The incident occurred this week at the China Dragon Buffet restaurant in Sandusky

The parents have not been identified.

Police said that Culley would have been better just calling 911, rather than taking a video.