Talk about a first day on the job no one could’ve predicted! A newly appointed city police chief found himself in an awkward — and viral — situation after being pulled over and briefly detained by one of his own officers during a traffic stop.
According to bodycam footage circulating online, the chief was driving an unmarked vehicle to his first official meeting when an officer initiated a routine stop, reportedly unaware of who was behind the wheel. What happened next left both the department and the public doing a double take.
The video shows the officer approaching the car and instructing the driver to exit the vehicle. When the chief hesitated, identifying himself as a member of law enforcement, the officer remained cautious and firm. “Step out of the car, sir,” the officer is heard saying — completely unaware that he was speaking to the new boss. Moments later, the chief calmly announced, “I’m the new police chief.”
At first, the subordinate seemed skeptical. But once the chief’s identity was confirmed, the tension broke into an awkward mix of shock and nervous laughter. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” the officer reportedly said, as fellow officers arrived at the scene. The entire exchange was caught on bodycam and has since been shared thousands of times online.
City officials later confirmed the authenticity of the footage, explaining that the chief was in an unmarked vehicle that hadn’t yet been registered to the department’s internal list. “It was an honest mistake,” a spokesperson said. “The officer was following procedure, and the chief has commended him for doing exactly what he’s trained to do.”
The chief himself addressed the situation during a press conference the next day, handling it with humor and grace. “I tell my team to enforce the law fairly — even if that means pulling over the boss,” he joked. “I can’t think of a better example of accountability on day one.”
Online reactions have ranged from laughter to admiration. Many praised the officer for sticking to protocol and not giving special treatment. Others found humor in the irony of a new police chief being “tested” by his own department before even setting foot in his office. “That’s what you call a real first-day challenge,” one commenter wrote.
The video, labeled by some as the “ultimate case of mistaken authority,” has already amassed millions of views across social media. Commenters continue to debate what they would’ve done in the officer’s shoes — or how they would’ve reacted if they were the chief.
Despite the mix-up, both men are reportedly on good terms, and the department is using the moment as a lighthearted reminder of professionalism and humility. As one official put it, “If this is how the new chief’s first day went, we can only imagine what day two will bring.”
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