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DC Cop Stops Teen Fight With Dance-Off and Gains National Acclaim

By Ephrat Livni, Esq. on November 02, 2015 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A Washington DC police officer won the president's respect and lots of street credit when she defused a teen fight with some dance moves last week. The officer reportedly tried to clear an area where two teenagers were fighting when one woman walked up to her and started dancing. The officer laughed and danced back. Their moves were memorialized on video and the recording went viral, the Washington Post reported.

Officially a Tie

Aaliyah Taylor said the police officer made a deal with her. If the cop won the dance off, the kids had to clear the area.

"Instead of us fighting, she tried to turn it around and make it something fun," Taylor reportedly told TMZ. "I never expected cops to be that cool. There are some good cops."

Taylor said she did not notice how well the officer was dancing, as she had her own head down while the challenge was happening. She was impressed when she saw the video later, however. She said, "But when I looked at the video after, I was like 'Oh, she has some moves.'"

According to Taylor, both she and the officer declared themselves the winner and hugged. The area was cleared. The fight was stopped. And a great deal of goodwill was generated for the police, who have of late made few, if any, headlines for inspiring great community relations.

President Obama last week tweeted praise for the officer's police work and her unique approach, writing, "Who knew community policing could involve Nae Nae? Great example of police having fun while keeping us safe." The song that inspired this dance-off is by Silento and is called "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)."

A Real Trooper

As if she was not already admirable enough, the officer who was involved in the dance-off asked not to be named. She told reporters that she did not want the story to be about her and that she was just doing her job.

"It's kind of embarrassing that this became so big," she said. "This is what we do everyday." The officer has been with the force for about three years and recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.

Marinos Marinos, the secretary of the DC police union, agreed with the officer's take. He said these sorts of exchanges between residents and police are quite common, only most don't get this much attention.

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