On Wednesday, March 8, 2017, Knoxville Police Department Officers joined the Austin East West African Dance and Drum Team for an outstanding performance to celebrate Black History Month at their school.

Several KPD Officers and Chief David Rausch volunteered their time for several evenings during the past couple of weeks to train with the dance team for the performance.

Several weeks ago KPD had conducted mock traffic stops at the school and showed the students what it's like for an officer to conduct a traffic stop on an unknown person. Officers were able to show the students of the unknown risks they face during a traffic stop. After the mock stops, Officers and students sat down and had an open discussion about real world dealings with youth and the police. It was a great night, and everyone learned so much from the training and discussions. It was during this time that Malaika Guthrie, an instructor and leader of the Austin-East Dance Team, had the dance off idea. 

Wednesday's performance was made extra special because those same students who KPD taught about the unknown risk traffic stops, taught the Officers how to dance!  These Officers were brought out of their comfort zone and the end result was nothing less than amazing. It was a true #CommunityStrong event. 

Take a look at the video below.