"He was in the zone," a neighbor said of 4-year-old Jake Manuel.
When a cop on traffic duty spotted a 4-year-old in his own police uniform, he decided the young boy was ready for his first day on the job.
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Jake Manuel, 4, of Gonzales, La., helped Officer Tyson Harris direct cars at a four-way traffic stop over the weekend.
“He was in the zone,” said his neighbor Natasha Henderson, who took photos of the scene. “All the people in the vehicles were really nice. They thought it was really cute.”
Henderson said Jake hardly leaves home without his kid-sized police uniform.
As usual, Jake was sporting the police garb while visiting his grandmother’s house on Sunday.
“He is the cutest cop ever," Henderson said. "His little outfit was adorable."
After showing off his uniform for a couple of minutes, the group spotted a Gonzales Police Department squad car pulling up down the block.
Spotting the uniform, Officer Harris walked up to say hello to Jake.
“The officer said, ‘Hey Jake, guess what? We’re about to go to work,’” Henderson recalled. “He said, ‘Come on, we’re about to stop some traffic.’”
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Jake followed Harris’ lead in directing cars, and even invited him to his upcoming police-themed birthday party as the 4-year-old wrapped up his shift.
“He’s a great cop,” Henderson said. “He’s well-known and he’s an awesome officer.”
