Boston police officer injured after chaotically throwing himself down children’s slide at newly renovated playground
- A Boston police officer was injured while going down a children’s slide in a playground
- Mayor Michelle Wu said the city could specify that the slide is for children only
Video of a Boston cop sliding down a children’s slide before skidding face down on the playground’s grass has gone viral.
The Boston Police Department said Tuesday that the officer was treated for minor injuries, but did so using his own health insurance and was not absent from work.
Several viral clips, allegedly filmed by fellow officers, showed the moment the fully uniformed cop fell on the waterslide at City Hall Plaza in Boston, which underwent a major renovation in November.
As he exited the slide opening, he was bumped against the edge of his exit lane and several items from his belt appeared to come loose, including a pair of handcuffs.
As the officer exited the slide opening, he was bumped against the edge of his exit lane and several items from his belt appeared to come loose.
Boston’s City Hall Square underwent a $95 million renovation in November 2022. The slide can be seen in the background
On Tuesday afternoon, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she hadn’t seen the video when asked about it at a press conference, but praised the new playground.
This is not the first time that an adult has experienced a brutal descent from the toboggan. In November, Boston City Councilwoman Erin Murphy shared a video on Twitter in which she lost a shoe on the way down and also found herself face down.
“I started down the slide sitting up straight and facing forward. I was whipped into the tunnel and came out upside down and upside down,” she noted at the time.
The incident involving the currently unnamed officer is not being investigated, according to police.
“He was injured and used his own personal medical insurance to get treatment,” Detective Sergeant John Boyle said. “He wasted no time and got back to work.”
The source of the video is unclear, but several versions have gained traction on different social media sites.
On TikTok, one version had been viewed millions of times while another version was posted on Twitter by professional hockey player turned NHL commentator Ryan Whitney.
However, shortly after posting the video, he deleted it. “I just deleted what I think is one of the funniest videos of all time. I have been asked to take it down. Its, he said.
But a number of other users were able to save the video, and different versions are now streaming around the web.
The Boston Police Department said Tuesday the unnamed officer was treated for minor injuries, but did so using his own health insurance.
Addressing the incident on Tuesday, Mayor Michelle Wu (pictured in April) suggested the city could clarify that the slide is for children only
Children are seen playing in the Boston City Plaza playground, which was renovated in November. The slide can be seen in the background
A number of Boston outlets claimed to have identified the officer in question, but said they were withholding his name because the incident was not being investigated.
The slide is the centerpiece of an updated playground and was part of a $95 million makeover. The renovated space has been described as having a ‘kinder Brutalist’ style, said an official from the mayor’s office told the Boston Globe Last year.
Addressing the incident on Tuesday, Mayor Wu suggested the city could clarify that the slide is for children only. “We were just there over the weekend for the Puerto Rican festival,” she said. says Boston 25 News.
“I don’t know what the circumstances were or what happened,” she added. “But, I will definitely check in and make sure the officer is okay. If it looks like there needs to be more signage saying it’s for kids or something, we can do that too.
According to the outlet, the entrance to the playground has signs indicating that it is for children ages 2-12.
“Everything has a chance of going viral these days,” Wu said.
