By Police1 Staff
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — An officer took a quick break from catching bad guys to capture the heart of a young girl — and the internet.
Officer Lyle Gensler told Inside Edition he saw the girl, who he’s nicknamed “Claire Bear,” playing outside her home on his way to the station. He said he always waves to her and her mother when he passes by.
Gensler said Claire wasn’t using a marker to hold her spot in hopscotch, so he grabbed a rock to teach her. Claire’s mother captured it on her phone and Gensler posted it to his Twitter.
“I didn’t think anyone would believe me when I went back to the station and told them I played hopscotch with a little girl,” he told Inside Edition.
He said he didn’t expect the video to go viral. Gensler was focused on not falling over.
“[Cops are] pretty top-heavy because of all the gear we carry,” he said. “So when I leaned down to pick up the rock, I almost fell over.”