Playboy cover model Francia James says the Miami Beach police officer who was suspended for appearing in uniform in her risque, viral video shouldn't be punished for the sexy stunt.
We got Francia and her lingerie video costar, Instagram model Maddy Belle, shopping Wednesday in Bev Hills ... and the smokin' hot chicks tell us just how things went down in South Beach, and why the cop should be put back on duty ASAP.
Francia and Maddy say they were finishing up a skit outside the Miami Beach Police Headquarters when the officer who appears in the video, William Beeker, just happened to walk out of the building. The models say they asked him to take part in their skit, and he obliged.
Beeker's escorting the girls into Miami Beach Police HQ as they're handcuffed and wearing lingerie. Seriously ... what self-respecting dude turns down that offer?!?
After the video started making the rounds on social media -- the girls have millions of followers -- investigators caught wind and Beeker became the subject of an internal affairs probe. Miami Beach PD says Beeker has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation.
Now, Francia and Maddy are defending the cop ... and they've got a message for his superiors.