On Sunday, what began as a demonstration by the Black Lives Matter chapter in Wichita, KS turned into a community cookout. BLM activist A.J. Bohannon met with Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay to explore solutions to diminish mounting tensions between law enforcement and the black community.

Out of that conversation came the “First Steps Community Cookout,” aimed at bringing the police force closer to the community it is avowed to protect and serve. The Wichita Police Department happily accepted their invitation to the cookout.

Photo: NPR

The event, which was free to the public, attracted nearly 1,000 people for an evening of food, fun and dancing. More importantly, the gathering provided an opportunity for citizens to build relationships, interact and have one-on-one conversations with police officers.

“Very good vibe. Very good vibe. It’s everything I was hoping for,” Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said in an interview with local news station KWCH.

Photo: kansascity.com

The peaceful day of friendly interactions between officers and the community quickly began trending on social media as participants took to Facebook and Twitter sharing photos and video of the event using #ThatsMyWichita.

The cookout became a breakout hit when footage of Officer Aaron Moses dancing went viral. Surprised by his overnight internet notoriety, officer Moses told the Wichita Eagle that he has enjoyed the opportunity to remind people that there are cops genuinely dedicated to the communities they serve.

“It is humbling to say the least. I do a job that I chose to do and it’s a job that I love to do, and it’s in a community that I really care about.”

Checkout highlights from the event in this mix produced by Devon Bray:

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Black-lives-matterBLMCommunity CookoutDancing CopWichita Police Department