Teen caught smoking pot; officer lets him do pushups instead of issuing citation

A North Texas police officer recently gave a teenager the option of being cited for marijuana possession or doing 200 pushups after the boy was caught smoking pot outside a movie theater.

The teen opted for the pushups Monday after Arlington officer Eric Ball smelled the odor of marijuana.

Police Lt. Christopher Cook says Ball was working an off-duty detail at the theater when he encountered the teen. He found the boy’s mother inside and the woman hugged and thanked the officer.

Cook says the boy was respectful and realized he’d made a mistake. He says Ball played football under coaches who used pushups to ensure discipline.

A video showing the teen struggling to complete the pushups was posted on Facebook and has been viewed more than 100,000 times.