GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – One West Michigan police officer is getting a lot of attention thanks to a photo snapped by a passerby.
Ricky Urena is a three-year veteran who is also melting hearts around West Michigan and beyond after a recent picture of him was shared thousands of times on Facebook.
"Good god where is he hiding," one woman commented on the post. "I always get an old man walking up to the window lol."
"If I'm ever going to be in the back of a cop car again it better be with him ??," wrote another.
Urena is a community police specialist working in the Grand Rapids neighborhoods.
"I was working a protest for immigration," officer Urena told WXMI about the photo. "We were blocking the roads for the protest and someone just took a picture of me and I guess it went viral."
Suddenly, officer Urena said he was getting texts from friends and family and Facebook messages from all over.
"It's kind of unreal. I was not expecting that at all.”
As you would imagine, he's been catching a lot of heat from his fellow officers.
"People making fun of me, but it's all in good fun," Urena said.
The Kentwood native wants people to know he's more than just a heartthrob, he loves serving his community.
And the community has certainly taken notice, like Larisa Vasquez who aspires to be an officer one day.
"I seen [sic] him on Facebook and I'm like, 'I'm doing a job shadow and maybe I can meet him,' and here we are,” she said with a laugh.
Yes, officer Urena is single. But for those hoping to have a run-in with him somehow, Urena had this to say, "I'm here Monday through Thursday if you want to stop by and say hi. But don’t break the law. That’s number one.”