Another DC Cop Dances on Camera

Call it a trend: for the third time in as many months, a DC Police officer has wound up dancing with a group of local youths, and the vibes seem to be moving from the rank-and-file to the departmental brass.

At a community event Thursday night at the Malcom X Opportunity Center in Congress Heights, Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes did the stanky leg with a group of kids moving to “Watch Me,” a single from 17-year-old Atlanta rapper Silentó. While the video, provided by community activist Ron Moten, does not show if Groomes showed off any other dance moves (Silentó’s song also highlights the whip and Nae Nae), it comes a little more than a week since the last instance of a dancing DC cop, when an officer at a charity event hosted by retired NFL running back Clinton Portis started twisting around.

In October, a beat cop garnered national attention when, after breaking up a group of arguing high school students, she got into a dance-off to “Watch Me” after one of the teens queued it up on her phone and showed off her moves to the officer.

But Groomes, a 25-year police veteran, is by far the highest-ranking officer to get down. As head of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Patrol Services Bureau, she oversees patrol operations at all seven police districts, the department’s special liasion units, and prisoner processing. How long until Chief Cathy Lanier busts a move?

Benjamin Freed

Staff Writer

Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.