An off-duty police officer stepped in heroically to aid a distressed young girl who found herself trapped inside a claw machine at a bowling alley in Missouri.
Ryan Brown, a seasoned officer with 11 years under his belt at the St. Charles County Police Department, was enjoying a family outing at Lucky Strike in St. Peters when he noticed a mischievous child wedged in the machine.
“With courage, composure, and about $4 in hand, Officer Brown jumped into action,” the police department recounted in a vividly detailed Facebook post.
Brown engaged in a few rounds with the machine, successfully encouraging the girl to exit through the prize slot.
Once he confirmed that the child was unharmed from her brief adventure, Brown proceeded to locate her family and ensure a safe reunion, according to the department.
Afterward, he returned to the bowling lanes to join his own family, wrapping up the night with a less-than-stellar score of 96.
“Just another reminder that the Officers of the St. Charles County Police Department are always ready to serve the #SCC Community — on & off-duty,” the department boasted with pride.
Cops in the St. Louis area are well-versed in grabber-game entrapment.
In February, two kids wedged themselves inside a game at the Soccer Dome in Webster Grove just days apart.
Cooper King, 2, the first slippery bandit, climbed up the prize chute and inside the skill game, which was filled with spiky rubber balls.
Cooper screamed in apparent glee, attracting a swarm of bystanders, though he was completely unfazed and gladly soaked up the extra attention.
“You know he’s laughing, throwing balls everywhere. We were like Cooper, try and go back down, and he was like shaking his head,” his mother recounted.
Less than a week later, Patrick Campbell, 3, made himself at home inside the same machine.
“I get ball!” Patrick told WWNY.
Patrick, too, was unbothered by his troublemaking, and even said “cheese” as people took pictures of him inside the machine.
