Lip Sync Challenge Provides Sobering Reminder On Domestic Abuse

PICKENS COUNTY, GA — While many law enforcement agencies are doing the lip sync challenge to put a human face on the officers who proudly wear the badge, a North Georgia sheriff's office is using this craze sweeping the country as a reminder of what their men and women do to protect the residents and communities they serve.

The Pickens County Sheriff's Office has released its version of the lip sync challenge, which has received more than seven million views and shared more than 200,000 times, according to its Facebook page.

The video begins with deputies singing and dancing along the 90s hit rap song "Whoomp! (There It Is)" by Tag Team. Sheriff Donnie Craig appears and when he learns of what his employees are doing, he challenges them to "think outside the box."

"We are determined to make a difference, right?" Craig asks. The video then transitions into a skit featuring a family rocked by domestic abuse. Underscored by the song "Titanium" by Sia and David Guetta, a man in the video walks into the living room and begins ranting and shouting at a woman and girl sitting on the couch.

He grabs the woman by the hair and the little girl flees to her bedroom. The man's attack on the woman escalates and the child in the bedroom calls 911 for help. Pickens deputies get the call and rush to the home. The front door is kicked in, and the man is taken into custody. A female sheriff's deputy finds the child hiding in her room and greets her with a hug.

The video ends with statistics about domestic violence, including law enforcement officers in Georgia responding to 65,000 family violence calls in a year. About 15.5 million children witnessed acts of domestic violence across the country, the sheriff's office states.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here)

The Pickens Sheriff's Office said it wanted to use the challenge to not only show its agency's lighthearted nature, but also draw attention to some of the calls and situations those in law enforcement respond to on a daily basis.

"Every day we try to serve, protect, and provide compassion," the agency said on its Facebook page. "This job is not always easy, but each day we choose to give it our all and we do it for you, our community. We are extremely proud of this video and hope it shows you just that."

If you or anyone you know is a victim of family violence, call the Georgia Statewide Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-33-HAVEN.

WARNING: this video contains a portrayal of a domestic violence incident. Watch with caution.

Image via Pickens County Sheriff's Office lip sync challenge video