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Police officer surprises teens at southwest Fresno park. What happened next was unexpected
CORRECTION: The Fresno police officer involved in this event was misidentified initially. This story has been updated with the correct name of the officer, Damian Herrera.
A group of athletes were caught by surprise when a police officer approached them in the middle of their workout Tuesday at Frank H. Ball Park in southwest Fresno.
And the encounter was caught on video.
“Actually saw him drive around earlier, checking out what we were doing,” said Calvin Ervin, a summer football coach who was overseeing a workout for a group of high school and middle school athletes. “He left, then came back about 5-10 minutes later.
“Saw him at the gate again. Definitely had me curious what he was up to.”
The officer, Damian Herrera, slowly walked up to the group of athletes with a big smile on his face.
And about 20 bottles of Gatorade in both hands.
“I see you guys working hard,” Herrera says in the video. “That’s what’s up.”
Ervin, 39, said he instructed one of his athletes to record the meeting because he thought it was a good teaching moment.
“Definitely good to see you pull up in this situation with everything going on with a smile on your face,” Ervin says in the video. “Because usually, in this situation, especially being here, with a person with a badge, it would not be that energy you just brought.”
To which Herrera responds: “We’re trying to change that out here in Fresno. I’m always out here. If you guys see me driving around, I’m always going to wave.
“Thought I’d bring you guys something.”
Then the group of athletes thanked the officer and collectively clapped.
The poignant interaction comes on the heels of continued protests around the country over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed by a white police officer in Minnesota.
In Fresno, the community has held at least three protests that have all been peaceful.
“For me, this was a big deal,” Ervin said. “For my son and his friends to be able to witness a good deed like that in person – and he seemed pretty sincere about it – it was a good teaching moment of understanding.
“There are good and bad people in every profession. One bad incident doesn’t make everyone in that profession bad.”
Ervin said he gained more respect for police because of Tuesday’s encounter.
“I know a lot of stuff is going on right now, and everybody is on their toes,” Ervin said. “At the end of the day, we can fix relationships and build relationships. Or we can leave it how it is.
“That officer was bridging the gap. I respect that.”
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