Police officer on patrol urgently flagged down for surprise invitation to Easter lunch at park

OKLAHOMA CITY - An Oklahoma City police officer was surprised to find a group of men who he thought were flagging him down because they needed law enforcement assistance inviting him to join their wives and kids for an Easter lunch on Sunday. 

Master Sgt. Jimmy Parsons was on patrol at Lake Hefner at “Stars and Stripes” Park when “these fine gentlemen” flagged him down, according to the Oklahoma City Police Department's Facebook post that included a selfie with Parsons and the men. 

Parsons initially thought they needed help or possibly needed law enforcement services. 

But it turned out they just wanted to invite him to “eat a little Easter lunch with their family,” the post said.
 
“They start waving their arms at me!” Parsons said. “[They] wanted to know if I wanted to eat... They just wouldn't take no for an answer!”

The men took Parsons into their family as the officer was spending time at work away from his own family during the holiday. 

“It's really nice to have that gesture from somebody like them. It really makes your day,” he said. “There's nobody happy having to work on Easter, because you leave your family and stuff, and you're out here working.” 

First, Parsons just took a water, but eventually he began eating after their insistence to have a meal with them.   

“They had fresh guacamole,” he said. “They're making fajitas and stuff and some sausages and hot dogs. And so the funny part is that they had so much they were cooking, that I thought they were going to feed the park!”

He said the family ate the same seasoned fajita meat that he buys at the market and eats regularly with his own family.

“That's my daughter's all-time favorite,” he said. “She could eat that every day.” 

Parsons stayed for about 30 to 45 minutes talking and spending time with the “really, really nice people.”  

“You don't really get a whole lot of that, so I'm just glad I went over there,” Parson said, adding that this has only been his third time getting invited to eat with a group in his 19 years of patrolling the park. He has been with the Oklahoma City Police Department for about 30 years.  

The photo has garnered a lot of attention on social media, with thousands of people reacting to the post.

“That is crazy. I never would've imagined it,” Parsons said, adding that it throws a different light on all negativity he sees on Facebook. “It really makes me feel good.” 

This story was reported from Los Angeles.