(kmbc) – In a rare moment caught on video, three Kansas City, Missouri police officers take a break from their duties to enjoy a basketball game with local kids.
Police Officer Todd Templeton pulled his police cruiser over in a local neighborhood when he saw three kids playing basketball, reports The Blaze.
In what one might expect to be a moment where the police would question the kids, or tell them they cannot play basketball in the street, Templeton and two other officers instead joined the kids in a three-on-three pickup game.
The entire event was caught on camera by Samuel Lockridge.
“It was very special. That’s why I felt like it was important and I felt obligated to record it,” Lockridge said to KMBC. “Ain’t seen too many police officers do this.”
“We’re doing it for the kids. We love the kids out here. We try to do our best interacting with the kids,” said Templeton. “They see enough of the bad stuff that goes in the neighborhoods just like we do, and we need to get their mind off of that.”
Clark Woods, 11, was one of the children who played against Templeton and the two other officers.
“It was a nice experience for me to play with the police because I like to play basketball a lot, so it would help me get to the NBA level because I have more experience,” said Woods.
The police are surprised by the level of attention the officer’s actions have garnered but are happy people are able to see that they do more than just write tickets and arrest people.
