What started as Plano Police responding to a neighborhood disturbance, ended with an impromptu soccer game and a pizza party.
“The complainant called and said kids were fighting on the basketball court,” said Officer Henry Rogers. “When I got there on the scene it was quickly discovered they were just play boxing, they had boxing gloves and [were] just laughing.”
Rodgers realized what he had on his hands was simply kids being kids - playing games, having a good time. He could’ve left it that but Rogers and another responding officer, Xavier Moreno, decided to join in on the fun.
“One of the kids challenged me to a basketball game and he quickly beat me,” Rogers said.
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The fun didn’t end there. There were more games to be played.
“So, when my partner here told me how they beat him so quickly I was like well let’s challenge them in a soccer game. We might have a better chance then,” said Moreno.
That turned into a friendly wager, and the loser had to buy the entire playground pizza. One of the neighborhood moms captured the moment on camera.
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“One of them [the kids] comes inside like ‘Plano PD is playing soccer against the kids and whoever loses has to buy pizza!’ And I was like what? So, I was like running outside,” said Breann Richardson.
It turns out, the kids got the best of officers Rogers and Moreno. They made good on their promise, and pizza was on them.
“It was so much fun,” Richardson said. “They just had a blast.”
The officers understand this experience can have a lasting impact.
“We want to build that rapport so when they need us, they know they can trust us,” Rogers said.
They said the positive influence goes both ways.
“We respond to calls for service on people’s worst days and sometimes we don’t see the good,” said Moreno. “So, it was very refreshing to sit down for a little bit, relax and just laugh a little with the kids.”
