Last night hundreds of Rock Hill residents and police officers came together in a massive demonstration of unity in downtown.
York County Councilman Bump Roddey initially came up with the concept after the attack on officers in Dallas.
“There are concerns on both sides, from citizens as well as law enforcement, and we want to make sure that we bridge the gap so citizens in this area feel comfortable with law enforcement,” Roddey commented last night.
Half-way through the event, Rock Hill Sheriff Bruce Bryant gave a speech to the crowd, telling them to take time to talk to each other, to pray for their children, and to obey authority. He also talked about the hardships that police officers endure on a daily basis, and the fact that no officer like making arrests.
Several local Rock Hill churches also joined the event last night – several groups around the crowd could be seen holding hands and praying and singing songs of hope and joy.
Rock Hill PD getting free hugs at community event #wcnc #rockhill pic.twitter.com/5MXMoTwQT9
— Ty Chandler (@TyChandler_News) July 19, 2016