Officer Calms Girl Who Is Afraid of Police During Traffic Stop
The officer let her play with the lights and sirens in his police car.
— -- A Texas police officer comforted a young black girl after her father was pulled over for a routine traffic stop.
On Aug. 10 Michael Harris was stopped by Officer Mike Collins from the Frisco Police Department with his 7-year-old daughter Mikylie in the car.
"Once the officer got to my door he asked me for my license and registration and I told him that I had a conceal carry license and that I had a pistol on my right hip," Harris told ABC News today. "After I told him that, my daughter came out of the back crying and freaking out."
"The police officer gave her a little sticker, a little badge sticker," Harris continued, which he said helped calm her down.
Collins let Mikylie play in the police car and turn on the lights and sirens, according to Harris.
"That made her feel a lot more comfortable with police officers," he noted.
Harris said Mikylie had become wary of cops after the recent shootings in the country.
"Right after the Dallas shootings happened, she asked me, 'Daddy why are the white people and black people killing each other?' I didn't know what to say," Harris said.
But Collins set a good example for Mikylie.
"It was a great experience" for her, Harris said.
A spokesperson for the Frisco Police Department told ABC News that Harris was pulled over for a routine stop and was issued a ticket.
"The driver was very cordial and very respectful. He handed his concealed carry license and let the Officer know that he did have weapon," officer Benito Valdez said.
Valdez said that Collins had heard the child crying and tried to cheer her up.
"He just calmed her down and let her sit in his police car," Valdez said, "and gave her some little trinkets." Valdez said most of the officers carry stickers with them.
"We're not just going to come up and write someone a ticket, and leave them with their kid crying in the car," Valdez said.
The police department has been "overwhelmed" with support from the community, according to Valdez.
Valdez added that police departments across the county do these little things every day.
"We're no different" from law enforcement in other cities, he noted. "I think the only difference here is that we go the extra mile to train our officers in how do deal with different cultures in our community."