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VIDEO: Break-in call for East Cleveland police officer turns into fun game of basketball

Posted at 9:58 AM, Jan 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-22 17:53:14-05

A call for a break-in turned into a game of basketball for one East Cleveland police officer. 

Sunday evening, an officer received a call that a group of children had broken the windows at a daycare and broken into the building. 

But when he arrived, East Cleveland Police Officer David Duncan found something much different. He found the group of children hadn't broken into the daycare center, but instead, just wanted somewhere to play basketball.

"I gathered them together, they had a basketball and they simply told me they didn't mean any harm. They really just wanted to play some basketball and said we don't have anywhere else to go," said Duncan.

When Duncan thought about it, he realized they were right.

"They really don't have a place to go. I thought we have one park, which has nothing. I thought about the playgrounds, we have none. And it dawned on me, we don't have anything," Duncan explained. 

Then one of the kids asked Duncan to play ball.

"I came from the streets, I understand the need to have a hero, a role model to look up to," added Duncan. 

Duncan moved to Cleveland from Jamaica when he was 13 years old. He said he didn't always make the right decisions, but he learned from his mistakes. Now, he hopes that by taking time out to play a game of hoops, he left a lasting impression on the kids. 

"When you have a group of kids who get together and who aren't causing mischief at all, have to appreciate that," said Duncan.

Watch the officer take on the group of competitive children in the media player above.