BROOKLINE, MA — A Jamaica Plain man posted a video on social media that shows a woman threatening to pepper-spray him because his dog wasn't on a leash and then questioning his citizenship. The video has been commented on hundreds of times, prompting a conversation about racism in the Boston area.

"There's racism, and people can be cruel, especially when they're coming from a position of power," Mohamed, who posted the video to his Facebook page Monday night, told Patch. "It's important for people to be aware that this kind of thing happens and it's not often on video. People often dismiss it as over-exaggeration."

Mohamed, who moved to Jamaica Plain about a month ago, asked that his last name not be used.

Watch Mohamed's interaction with the woman below. The encounter happened after a spate of similar incidents recorded on video across the country, including one involving a white woman in North Carolina calling black patrons of a restaurant a racial slur because she thought they were being too loud.

Brookline leaders say the encounter with a woman believed to be from Brookline shows that Brookline is not immune from larger social problems.

"It just makes me so sad, honestly," said Brookline Select Board member Raul Fernandez, who ran for office on a platform of diversity and inclusion. "It's important for us to know that folks like this are out there, including in our own community, and really highlight the urgency of our work in addressing racism, xenophobia and other forms of oppression within our own community." On Monday, Mohamed was walking his dog, Divva, along the edge of Ward's Pond near the Brookline–Jamaica Plain border when a woman's yellow Labrador started pulling in his dog's direction. After she shouted "Stop!" to her dog, he told her to relax.

That's when she threatened to pepper-spray his dog and call the police. He took out his camera and started recording, which is legal to do in public spaces as long as it is not secret.

"Massachusetts leash law, buddy," she says, walking away from the water's edge after apparently finishing a phone call. "What you're doing is illegal."

"I hope this gives you fulfillment in life, calling the cops on people in the park," he says. "If you have a dog, you might as well be responsible about it," she says, pointing at him.