'Please Come Arrest Me': Calif. Police Officer’s Instagram Cameo Sparks Social Media Frenzy
What to know
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A Burbank Police Department’s routine Instagram post featuring an officer with two French bulldogs has generated over 200,000 likes and thousands of comments focusing on the officer's good looks.
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The photo has prompted comments from users drew attention to the officer rather than the canines.
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The department has taken the attention in stride, liking some of the humorous comments.
A California police department found itself at the center of an unexpected internet moment after a lighthearted Instagram post featuring one of its officers went viral.
On Feb. 13, the Burbank Police Department shared a Valentine’s week post showing Officer Christian Parks cradling a French bulldog during a call for service, while another dog lingered nearby in the background, KTLA-TV reports. The caption was simple and wholesome, but the online comments focused on Parks' good looks.
"During a call for service, Ofcr Parks was greeted by two lovely frenchies!" the Instagram post stated. "He could not resist petting, holding & and snapping a photo with them!"
What appeared to be a routine community-policing snapshot rapidly snowballed into a comment-section spectacle. Within days, the post eclipsed 200,000 likes — a dramatic leap compared to the department’s previous post, which drew fewer than 100 likes. Over 3,000 users chimed in, many deploying humor that ranged from playful to theatrically over-the-top.
Over 3,000 users left comments about the handsome officer, with some jokingly volunteering to have Parks give them “professional” pat-downs, while others asked for the officer to take them into custody.
“I committed a crime, please come arrest me,” wrote a user.
One commenter even had a role-play suggestion.
"I identify as a dog if Officer park wants to pick me up too," a user wrote.
The department has taken the viral moment in stride, liking a few of the comments. The sudden attention has given the agency an opportunity to spotlight the work its officers do, and the post has let the department point to recruiting information.
It's unclear, however, what Parks has thought of the unexpected online fame.