With well-placed aim, some students were lucky enough to send the officers straight into the pool of water.
UPD hosted its third annual Dunk-A-Cop to raise money for the Special Olympics of Indiana from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 28.
Students donated money to try to dunk police officers and members of parking services into a tank of water by throwing softballs at a target. UPD Chief James Duckham and Assistant Chief Al Williams joined the officers to participate in the event.
Williams—dressed in a full suit—said he wasn’t afraid to get a little wet at his first Dunk-A-Cop event. He has served as assistant chief for six months.
“It’s a perfect day to come out here and get some fun interactions with students,” Williams said. “I really enjoy this; there’s nothing else like it.”
His daughter, senior public relations major Hayley Williams, made sure to pay her dad a visit.
“I don’t have a good arm, so I just paid the $5 to run up and dunk him,” Hayley said. “He’s always been a great police officer in my eyes, and having him on the campus is great. I know he’s doing good things here.”
See a gallery of photos from Dunk-a-Cop here.
UPD Police Sgt. Terrell Smith, a third-time participant in the event, said it’s a great chance for all students to meet officers in a fun, stress-free environment.
“I always enjoy meeting students, and it’s a lot of fun to joke around and see some smiling faces,” Smith said. “The officers are interacting with students, faculty and staff. That’s what we want, and it’s a positive connection with everyone.”
Smith added that while raising money for the Special Olympics is a great cause, the department is considering raising money for the Riley Children’s Foundation in the coming years as well.
Some of the officers playfully joked and persuaded students walking by to try dunking one of the cops.
“One of the cops came up to me and was like, ‘Hey, come out here and see if you have what it takes to dunk a cop,’” said Sarah Anzelmo, a sophomore hospitality and food management major.
Anzelmo said she was drawn to the dunk tank because she wanted the chance to dunk an officer, but she also added that raising money for a cause is something she was happy to do.
“I’m in a sorority, and I think that supporting awareness for foundations like the Special Olympics is really great, especially by members of UPD on our campus,” Anzelmo said.
Although he wasn’t dunked, Duckham was happy with the turnout of the event.
“We want to give students a chance to see us in a nontraditional role and feel comfortable around us,” Duckham said. “I think this is just a great opportunity for us all to get to know each other."
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