A South Carolina police officer was responding to a call on Saturday, when he found himself transfixed by a boy in the background.
While Officer Kawain Harrison of the Greenville Police Department focused on taking a report, he said he made a mental note to find out about that kid who was practicing his dance moves in front of a bathroom mirror.
“He drew me to him,” Harrison told The State Monday.
It turns out that the 12-year-old named Javon has that effect on a lot of people.
After taking care of his official duties, Harrison introduced himself to the youngster and proceeded to take a video of him nailing an impression of Michael Jackson’s dance moves.
Harrison and the Greenville Police Department shared the video of Javon dancing to Jackson’s hit “Billie Jean,” Monday morning. By the late afternoon, it had been viewed more than 65,000 times.
“It’s stunning how it has taken off,” Greenville Police Department Public Affairs Manager Donald Porter said.
Harrison echoed that sentiment, saying, “I didn’t know it would blow up like this.”
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t awed by Javon’s talent. He gushed just talking about the youngster, saying he was “really smart” and “well spoken.”
Harrison said Javon told him he has been listening to Michael Jackson since he was 3 years old. That’s about the time the “King of Pop” died.
It was after watching a Jackson video on YouTube that Javon was officially hooked.
After seeing Jackson perform, Harrison said Javon told him “Man, I just love him. I knew that is what I wanted to do.”
“He’s all about it,” Harrison said, later adding that Javon has down lots of Jackson’s repertoire, including “Thriller.” “He has the same moves as Michael Jackson, step for step. This kid is on point. … He’s a star.”
According to the Greenville Police Department, Javon said he learned his moves from watching Ellen DeGeneres. Porter said there is an effort underway to get the comedian and talk show host to meet Javon.
Sadly, Javon said nobody believed in his dancing ability and talent. After winning over Harrison, the Greenville officer has helped him find a lot of new believers.
In addition to hundreds of thousands of viewers on social media, the Greenville Drive minor league baseball team and Furman University men’s basketball team want Javon to perform at their games.
Porter said an area band has also reached out to see if Javon would be willing to perform as their opening act, while Harrison said that Javon’s older sister has been swamped by emails and messages all day about her talented brother.
“I’m just taken with him, there’s something about this kid,” said Harrison, who plans on staying in touch with Javon and pledged to look out for him as long as the boy would allow. “I want to see him get an opportunity and a chance to shine.”
To help in that effort, Harrison said he and his wife, Lindsay Harrison, are making some purchases to help Javon totally nail his Michael Jackson impression. They bought a red leather jacket, a hat, sunglasses, glitter socks and are debating purchasing a wig for Javon’s ensemble.
They also bought the 12-year-old a sequined glove to replace the one he’s currently using, which is his grandfather’s glove that he wears when he serves as an usher at church on Sundays.
Javon, and several other family members live with his grandfather. That’s who Harrison was talking with when he was on duty Saturday.
“It makes my heart warm. It was something bad turned into something good,” the officer and father of five kids said of the situation, unable to reveal any specific details. “I met a great kid.”
And now the world has, too.
SOURCE: The State
It’s wonderful seeing how the younger generations gravitate to Michael and emulate his moves… they aren’t bothered by all the tabloid crap. They see Michael clearly, as the person he truly was, and they love him.