'Superhero' Cop Caught On Tape Playing Dolls With Nervous Kids During Gas Scare

SOUTH HILL, VA — A video shot by a mom showing a South Hill policeman joining kids on a sidewalk to play with dolls has gone viral, and community members say it’s just one example of how officer C.B. Fleming truly protects and serves the area — with open-heartedness and compassion.

Iesha Roper-Boswell, the 28-year-old mom who filmed the video, told the press that South Hill Police corporal Fleming is an entirely positive presence among her kids and their friends, stating, “They need someone who they feel is a superhero. He's awesome. That's the only word you can really use to describe C.B. It's just amazing, the bond he has with the children.”

The adorable video of Fleming down on the ground playing dolls with a pair of little girls was shot last week after a gas leak was reported in Roper-Boswell’s apartment complex.

While emergency crews investigated the leak, which was ultimately deemed not a threat, Fleming made sure the kids were safe and then took time to playfully interact with them. The video also shows Fleming coloring with other children and showing them his patrol car, which he refers to his as “Batmobile.”

After the video took off on Facebook, 15-year police force veteran Fleming said, “When I got into this job, I knew there was something different, other than just writing tickets and being the bad person all the time. I figured if I could be that bright spot in someone's day then that's all that mattered.”

The video clip provides a refreshing change of pace from so many recent news stories that center on the notion of a cop “caught on video.” In fact, Roper-Boswell said she directly addressed that issue with Fleming.

Talking to a reporter, Roper-Boswell said, “People need the positivity. I was telling him that my daughter, my niece, and some of the other children here were afraid of cops. So when he came and played with them, I captured that moment, not because I thought it would go viral, but it was amazing that my niece didn't break out into tears."

Fleming also noted of the area where he was filmed, “We had a lot of calls here when I first started. I figured if I could let them know that I was an anchor point, that they could come and talk to me and trust me, then I could do some good. I want everyone, not just the kids ... but the moms and dads ... to know that they can come to me."

Roper-Boswell said that Officer Fleming’s work and presence has had a transformative effect on everyone in the area, stating, "For him to make my child feel like she's safe, she doesn't even have to call 911, she just has to call C.B. if she's in trouble. I'm glad he made this part of his job. He's changed my daughter and niece's lives."

Read more: WDBJ, WTKR