STANLY COUNTY, NC (WFMY) - North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper Whit Efird's gotten his fair share of comments since a video of him lip-syncing Junior Brown's 'Highway Patrol' went viral Tuesday.
"One I saw that made me laugh out loud was a guy that said 'had I known this, I would have sung a duet with you,'" said Efird Wednesday afternoon.
It's an old song, but one Efird likes to play on parade floats he's in. If you've paid attention to the internet in recent weeks, you've probably seen all the fun around the #LipSyncBattle many law enforcement agencies are having. That's where he got the idea.
But the trooper didn't do it for clicks, he actually did it to try and brighten the day of a colleague's son, one who's battling pediatric brain cancer.
"I made that video for Lt. Thompson on the Highway Patrol, Efird said. "He was a Sergeant in Stanly County so we're close. I wanted to make his five-year-old son laugh. His mother said he watched it a few times."
Efird's been with the Highway Patrol since 2012 and is from Oakboro, now patrolling the roads in his home county. Joining the lip sync battle isn't out of character for Efird, who says he's been known to make a funny video or two.
"It's hard to believe that many people are looking at it," he said. "I think it's really good for police in general. It puts a positive light on us instead of negativity."
As far any subsequent stardom, Efird laughs it off.
"I don't know if that's what you'd call it, but I had fun doing it."
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