Ridgway police officer plays basketball with kids, buys them slushies

RIDGWAY - Four boys were playing basketball on Sunday when an unexpected player joined them.

"He was driving along the street and he asked if we wanted him to play PIG and we said yes," 8-year-old Joel Neureiter said.

"He said whoever wins gets ice cream and then we were playing and having fun," 12-year-old Aaron Hoy said. "The cop won so he said he'll buy everyone ice cream."

That officer was Ridgway Borough Patrolman Corey Wendel. Wendel is from St. Marys.

"I was doing patrol around Ridgway and I stumbled upon a group of kids playing basketball in their front yard," Wendel said. "It was a nice day and I figured they could use an extra guy."

One of the boy's mother, Shannon Neureiter, said panic set in when she got a voicemail from her sister-in-law, asking her why police were at her house, standing in the driveway and writing things down.

Neureiter said she and her husband were out of town with three of their kids and the other two were home.

"A little while later they called me back and told me that the officer was playing basketball with them and he won and bought them all drinks," Neureiter said. "He was writing down their orders on a notepad. It was something that doesn't happen every day."

Wendel said he hasn't been an officer too long. He's been working since May.

Wendel said it's important for kids to know police officers can be trusted.

"Interacting with the community and playing a game of basketball with the kids," Wendel said. "I believe that shows police do care and police aren't bad people."

The kids challenged Wendel to a rematch.

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