February 14, 2017
Valentine's Day is a holiday to share heartwarming stories about love. New Jersey State Police used the day to prove that law enforcement officers aren't immune to sentimental occasions, themselves.
On Tuesday, the department posted dash-cam footage to social media showing how one trooper responded to a couple in a rush to tell some special news to one of their parents.
Authorities didn't say where or when the incident happened, but noted the officer, identified as Trooper Olsen, pulled over a male driver for speeding. According to the time stamp on the video, the traffic stop occurred Jan. 15 around 11 a.m.
When pressed to explain why he was "going a little fast," the driver told the trooper that he was excited because he was on his way to tell his parents that his wife is pregnant. The man handed his license and registration to the trooper, who knew exactly what to do.
The video begins when the trooper returns to the vehicle:
This #ValentinesDay we thought we would post something #heartwarming. #TuesdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/qL1cCt4EyK
— NJSP - State Police (@NJSP) February 14, 2017
"Here's your ID back. Listen, I'm not giving you a ticket," the trooper said. "All right, I'm just gonna give you a warning. OK, what warning I gave you, it's not gonna be for speed or anything. I gave: 'Failure to Use Car Seat for Child Under 8 Years.' So you can be like, 'Mom and Dad, look, I got a warning for this.' And they can be like, 'Why'd you get that?' And you can be like, 'We're pregnant!'"
After a good laugh, the trooper congratulated the couple and sent them off to deliver the happy news.
New Jersey State Police praised the trooper for his decision.
"Well done, Tpr. Olsen, well done," state police posted on the department's Facebook page.
Aww ... or for the more skeptical among us: Remember this the next time you get pulled over for speeding by a police officer with your significant other in the passenger seat.
