Batman got pulled over, but it wasn’t because he was breaking the law

An Ontario Provincial Police officer pulled over Batman in Caledon, but it wasn’t because he broke the law – it was for a selfie.

Stephen Lawrence, who portrays the famous comic book hero, said he was driving home from Parry Sound on Saturday when he noticed people were taking photos of him in his ‘Batmobile.’

“I noticed that I was being tailed by a couple of cameras — I can tell when there are recordings happening of me driving — so I noticed at a stop light that a vehicle … was an OPP cruiser,” Lawrence told Global News on Wednesday.

“I took advantage of this. I pulled up beside the cruiser in the left turn lane and asked the officer to give me a hand with the cameras behind me. The officer said yes they can.”

Lawrence said the officer escorted him along when they put on their emergency lights a short time later, signalling him to pull over.

“I jumped out and asked if everything was OK and the officer said, ‘I would like to not miss my opportunity and get a photograph with you,” he said.

Lawrence said he doesn’t want to get the officer in trouble because if he were in that position, he would do the same thing.

Paul Nancekivell, a spokesperson for the OPP Caledon detachment, told Global News an officer did pull over Batman for a selfie. He said he saw nothing wrong with it and that it was an act of “building community relations.”

Meanwhile, Lawrence, who adopted the role of Batman years ago because of a personal connection to the character, said he’s happy to take photos with people but would rather people put their cellphones down while driving.

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“If you start to pace beside me, it means that both of us can be put in jeopardy if something were to happen,” he said.

“I do go to events, public events and private events if invited, and there you can take your pictures, videos, photographs.”

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For Lawrence, he said being Batman is a commitment that gives him a purpose.

“That promise is not only to remember the family that I’ve lost but also to get every piece of that back by making as many smiles as I can. Nothing is more fulfilling than to be able to see anyone — young or old — and they get excited to see Batman,” he said.

“So if I can give them that, that’s a good thing and I’m honoured that they react the way they do to me.”

The caped crusader enjoys the attention but does admit that it can be a lonely life and that he is looking for his Batgirl.

“I’m working on it.”

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