Joe Mario Pedersen
Orlando Sentinel
LAKELAND, Fla. — Often, law enforcement officers are looking out for the little guy, but in the case of one Lakeland Police officer it became a matter of 13 little guys.
Officer Bailey, of the Lakeland Police Department, was seen on a viral video earlier in the month escorting a mother duck and her 12 ducklings safely into Lake Mirror, near Lake Avenue and Orange Street, according LPD.
https://www.facebook.com/LakelandPD/videos/264119741248348/
Officer Bailey was on patrol when he noticed the ducklings following their mother from South Florida Avenue down to Pine Street and toward the Lakeland Police Station.
Bailey stepped out of his squad car and proceeded to guide the ducks back toward the water. However, Bailey went beyond the call of tour guide and acted as a protector for the many detours the ducks took including various intersections and a separation issue on a railroad track; the latter Bailey patiently waited for the ducks to solve themselves before continuing their stroll down to the lake.
Posted earlier in March, Bailey’s act of protection went viral with 2.7 million views with 110,000 reactions.