The latest police videos going viral don’t feature scenes of confrontation — only the sounds of harmony.
The history of Texas law enforcement doesn’t include much soft rock or old-school soul or club music or “Flashdance” performances. But at a time when viral police videos tend to mean controversy, officers in Texas have created a very different social media sensation — racking up millions of views with a “lip-sync battle” that’s gone national.
Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy Alexander Mena kicked off the challenge last month with a simple video, never expecting it would lead to full-scale productions.
In the past month, dozens of police departments have answered the Lone Star State, creating a kind of cop-pool karaoke that includes officers in Kentucky, California and, unforgettably, Norfolk, Virginia.
Norfolk’s one-take rendition of “Uptown Funk” has nearly 30 million views.
Officers from Owasso, Oklahoma posted a “Wayne’s World” spoof, while the Dallas police went country. But ultimately, it’s the message that matters: Behind every badge, there’s a person, probably not so different from you.
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