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HERRIMAN — A beloved Unified police officer was caught having fun while playing basketball with some neighborhood kids last week.
Officer Scott Lauritzen has been with Unified's Herriman precinct for 15 years as a patrol officer and has been the school resource officer at Herriman High School for the past five years, said Herriman spokeswoman Tami Moody. He stopped by a pickup basketball game while on duty to shoot some hoops and the ensuing fun was caught on camera by a neighbor.
"He is affectionately known as 'Officer Scott' throughout the community," Moody told KSL.com in an email. "He is loved by the community and works so well with the youth in Herriman."
The photos show Lauritzen running around the court trying to block and steal the ball and the lighthearted interaction "describes him so well," she said. The athletic officer was a former cheerleader for the University of Utah, Moody added.
Herriman City posted the photos to Twitter and Facebook to highlight the goodwill between local officers and the community, where it quickly garnered likes and comments.
Thanks @UPDSL Herriman Precinct for hooping it up with our community and keeping us safe! 🏀😀 pic.twitter.com/v6tdJOBMS6
— Herriman City (@HerrimanCity) April 2, 2018
"Officer Scott is the best!" wrote one Facebook user.
"I absolutely love that officer! He's an amazing man, as a community we're lucky to have him," wrote another Facebook user.
In addition to enjoying basketball on the court, officer Scott is an avid fan of the Utah Jazz and Jazz Bear.
