Buffalo, NY — In the land of the free, playing football in your neighborhood street can be a criminal act which can often be met with police force. Kids in a Buffalo neighborhood were about to experience what playing football looks like in a police state — that is, until Officer Patrick McDonald showed up to the call.

Time and again, we've seen children held at gunpoint for walking home from a basketball game or assaulted for riding a bike. However, this story is different and it shows what a positive effect a compassionate officer can have when he uses his officer's discretion while policing.

"I joined them for a couple of downs, and as you can see it's taken on a life of its own," McDonald said about the video which has since gone viral after being posted on social media this week.

"I'd just like to think that any other officer would have done the same thing that I did, and I bet there's others who probably have," he added.

As Buffalo News reported, the videos even got the attention of Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown, who called the episode "community policing at its best."

Here's what happened: (CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEOS)

When Officer Patrick McDonald responded to a nuisance call of children playing football in the street, he just joined in. Video footage shows Officer McDonald walking from his car toward the football game asking, "Where we lining up?"

The next video shows the officer running and catching a Hail Mary pass.

In the final video, he jokes with one of the children that he should write up a police report because he just got robbed.

Even after the officer was done playing with the kids, he engaged in humor as he pulled off in his cruiser. What could have been a terrible situation involving the arrest and assault of juveniles ended instead with a community coming together.