Shaq Joins Kids and Cops for Street Basketball in Gainesville, Florida

Props to the Gainesville Police Department – they know how to respond to complaints about black kids playing basketball in the street.

Officer Bobby White was dispatched to a neighborhood where people had complained about “kids playing basketball loudly,” as opposed to the quiet, genteel events that street basketball games usually are.

But instead of stopping the game or harassing the kids, Officer White joined in. In the resulting viral video, the police department had this to say:

“So…if you call GPD to complain about kids being kids… This is how Officer White is going to handle it. We’re going to let kids be kids. We are going to focus on the ones that commit crimes. #HoopsNotCrime”

And it doesn’t stop there – basket ball legend Shaquille O’Neal saw the viral video and volunteered to be Officer White’s backup the next time around.

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