SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Images of a young girl and her father peacefully interacting with law enforcement officers during a protest in downtown San Diego have gone viral.
The photos, which have been shared thousands of times on social media, show a little girl meeting with officers as a demonstration unfolded downtown on the night of June 1.
California Highway Patrol Officer Mitchell Byrd is seen in the photos high-fiving the young child.
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"It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like we're moving in the right direction," Byrd said.
He added, "I'd been away from my daughters already at that point for about 15 hours; I have 3 [daughters]. I saw her and we all waved and she waved, and her dad shouts out to the crowd, ‘She wants to be a police officer!’"
Byrd said the girl couldn’t have been more than 3 or 4 years old, and she was very excited upon meeting the officers.
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"We talked very briefly, but I offered to have her come take a picture with all of us out on the line that we had created,” said Byrd.
A passerby stopped and captured the moments, and the photos have since touched many. The images have been shared on Facebook more than 2,500 times.
"To see us in all of our big gear and she ran with a smile on her face, gave us all high fives, wanted to take a picture. It was pretty, pretty awesome," Byrd said.
If you know the father or daughter in the pictures, 10News would love to hear from them. Email tips@10news.com.
