Whether or not @DCPoliceDept meant to tweet “dcpolice” or not is besides the point now, for they have unwittingly become a part of social media history.
The Washington DC Metropolitan Police’s Twitter account has 190,000 followers, more than enough that, should something go wrong, someone’s going to notice.
So when what appeared to be an accidental tweet appeared on their page, it did not go under the radar.
dcpolice
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) October 28, 2017
— Ms. Grizzly Adams (@MsAdams) October 28, 2017
To be fair to them, they owned it.
Just making sure you are paying attention!
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) October 28, 2017
However, that didn’t prevent them from coming in for a little good-natured teasing – 10/10 Chief Wiggum reference, here.
Bake ‘em away, toys.
— Chris Gill (@ninefor22) October 28, 2017
But perhaps what @DCPoliceDept didn’t count on was their knight in shining armour – former Labour cabinet minister and Strictly Come Dancing Hall of Famer, Ed Balls.
I think it's great that he's never removed that, and I'm tickled that @DCPoliceDept is doing the same.
— Doppel Vizsla (@doppelvizsla) October 28, 2017
When is ed balls day? @edballs
— James Meeks (@themeekstar) October 29, 2017
Yes, Ed knows how it feels to tweet in the third person, doing so to great effect back in 2011 on his own Twitter account.
Ed Balls
— Ed Balls (@edballs) April 28, 2011
Washington’s police can take comfort in the fact that Ed Balls Day is now practically a national holiday – Balls himself even got in on the joke.
It looks as though his timely intervention was well received, with this particular incident occurring exactly six months on from the 2017 edition of Ed Balls Day, in fact.
You’re welcome, DCPolice
— Ed Balls (@edballs) October 28, 2017
Another catastrophe averted, Balls is perhaps the superhero 2017 needs.
— Penny Andrews👨🏻🎤 (@pennyb) October 28, 2017
Popping up whenever a social media gaffe announces its arrival, Balls is your man.