Officer 'intended to interact with our youth' when riding dirt bike

BALTIMORE (WBFF) -- A video showing a Baltimore city police officer riding a dirt bike has gone viral.

It's been shared more than 70 thousand times on Instagram, and shows an officer, in uniform, riding the illegal bike up and down McCulloh street near Whitelock.

Baltimore police issued the following statement in response:

"Our police officer recovered this dirt bike after an unidentified person abandoned it in the community. Prior to the impound, our police officer briefly operated the dirt bike in an apparent effort to connect with some young people who had gathered. While we applaud his intention to interact with our youth, we will ensure alternative outreach efforts are considered in the future."

Most people we spoke to say they saw the video, but not the incident itself, including Malik Sykes, who says he hopes it will build trust with police in that neighborhood.

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