Twin Raleigh police officers help college student fix a flat tire at 3 a.m. in viral Facebook post

Thursday, June 4, 2020
Raleigh twin cops help student change flat tire at 3 a.m.
Jay Hunter got a boost from Raleigh police this week when he got a flat tire at 3 a.m.

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- It's a Facebook post that has been shared thousands of times on social media.

It happened 3 a.m on Monday morning. Jay Hunter, a senior majoring in graphic design at Elizabeth City State University, was on his way to UPS. It's one of three jobs he works.

Jay felt the rumble of a tire. Pulling to the side of the road, he discovered it's flat and the lug nuts are locked.

He tried to phone a few friends to no avail.

Then he flagged down a member of the Raleigh Police Department.

"I noticed they were twins, and I'm like 'Are you guys twins?'" Jay told ABC11 in a FaceTime interview. "He's like 'yeah man, we're twins.'"

The two brothers helped Jay change his tire.

"It was a pretty cool conversation," Jay said. " And he was like 'the least that he could do is change a tire with all of the hatred going on in the world.' And when he said that, it kind of stuck with me."

The post had more than 8,000 shares as of Thursday morning.

"People know what happened. And that situation was wrong. And change there needs to be a change happen. I do believe that there is some good going on in the world," Jay said.

Across North Carolina, officers are showing solidarity with protesters.

In Knightdale, officers took a knee, prayer with and for the demonstrators.

In Goldsboro, the police department shared photos from a resident. The photos showing officers hugging protesters.

Our cameras were rolling on Capital police in Raleigh when they too took a knee before those exercising their first amendment right.

"This officer was requested to just take a knee. He took up up the chain, 'can we do this?' Absolutely." Chief Gina Hawkins of the Fayetteville Police Department said as her officers took a knee.

READ MORE: Fayetteville police officers kneel in solidarity with George Floyd protesters

"We've been waiting to share that we are in solidarity with the community a long time ago."

In Cary, the police department accepted an invitation from students a Cary High School seniors for an event that allows students to express their feelings about recent events.

Back to Jay. His post has reached tens of thousands of people. With the popularity has come mostly positive messages but Jay said there have been some there have been negative ones.

"I don't want people to get the connotation that all cops are bad, I don't think that. I think there are some out there that do advocate for us. They should be speaking up for us as well. And I feel like some of them are," Jay said. "But I don't believe that their voice is big enough just like us, so we have to keep fighting together, because were stronger together."