Teenager feeding Columbus Police 100 meals a night says 'This is what feels right'

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) — A local teenager is feeding Columbus Police officers 100 hot meals every evening during the week of downtown protesting. He says he feels it’s the right thing to do amid the nationwide divisions between police and protesters.

Markel Davis, 17, is a rising senior at Upper Arlington High School and attends the Public Safety program through Columbus City Schools. He began buying groceries on Monday with his mother, Jessica, and grilling hot dogs, hamburgers, and bratwursts to deliver each evening along with buns, chips, and bottled water for officers.

Markel said Thursday he has dreamed of becoming a police officer since he was three-years-old. Describing himself as mixed race, Markel said as a young man of black descent, he can understand both sides of the protests: why Americans are marching against racism and why police are attempting to curtail riots and looting.

"I feel like there is something that needs to be done about what happened (to George Floyd). I believe that was wrong and we should be protesting,” Markel said. “But I don’t think that just because some police officers did something wrong, that every police officer is wrong."

Markel’s mother said on Friday that her son has received mostly love online since announcing his work on Thursday, but also saw backlash on social media for aiding the officers who have been involved in crowd control and riot suppression tactics downtown.

“I just believe in letting your kids follow their dreams and be what they want to be,” said Jessica Davis. “There’s going to be upset people because of what Markel’s doing. He said he wanted to do what was right and stand up for what he believes in. So I’m proud of him.”

Columbus Police shared pictures and video on Friday of several officers coming to Markel’s home and thanking him for the donated food. The Division also thanked Markel in a social media post.

The 17-year-old said Friday that he did not begin the effort to help his career path or to gain social media acclaim.

“I would just like (people to know) not everyone out there is bad,” he said. “It might seem like there’s a lot of bad people, but there’s also a lot of good people out there.

And I just want to do the right thing...this is what feels right to me”.