CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A handful of Clayton County Sheriff’s Office employees are creating quite a reputation for themselves while directing traffic in uptown this week.
The Georgia deputies shake their hips, they escort ladies across the crosswalk and they drop to their knees and wave their arms frantically as vehicles pass on each side.
The officers call their impromptu moves “traffic jammin.’” And the crowds love it.
“We’re just having fun here,” said officer Michael Johnson. “We don’t do this on a daily basis, but we’re having a good time and actually doing a good job.
“We’re keeping the pedestrian and vehicle traffic moving, everybody’s happy. They’re loving it, giving us high-fives, cheering, taking pictures. I’ve even been signing autographs. It’s been a whole lot of fun for us.”
The group of five sheriff’s office employees said they started dancing kind of on a whim on Monday as a way to have fun during their long shifts. They said they’ve never directed traffic this way before.
“Since we’re going to be on a post for 12 hours, we thought we might as well have some fun doing it,” said Johnson. “They’re all impromptu moves, but we each kind of have a signature move that we’ve all come up with on our own. I do a Michael Jackson move.”
Deputy William Cooley said he likes to hop on one foot backwards as his signature move.
“The moves kind of just come with the moment,” said Cooley.
The passersby aren’t the only ones having fun.
“You know what, we’re having a blast,” said Cooley. “This is an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to come out here, serve the community and represent our home community.”
Cooley said their antics have gotten a lot of unexpected attention.
“Actually, we didn’t intend on this picking up like it did,” he said. “We’re just a couple guys working some traffic on the back street and it blew up and next thing you know -- now, we can’t quit. Everybody comes expecting something, so you have to put something on.”
Meka Vallier and her friends, Chelsea Rowssey and Kramer Grach from High Point University, took a photo with the dancing officers.
“It’s awesome,” said Vallier. “You never see cops let loose. They’re always so serious all the time, so it’s nice to see them shake their butts like this.”
