Rock Hill cops cash in on sudsy water wager with firefighters

The police department cashed in on its soccer game wager with the Rock Hill Fire Department on Monday morning, setting out a bucket, soap and a water hose for fire Chief Mike Blackmon and Battalion Chief Chris Channell to wash one of the agency’s patrol Tahoes.

“Of course we had to swallow a little bit of our pride,” Channell said of the good-humored rivalry between the city’s cops and firefighters that ended with him and Blackmon washing the SUV in the police department’s parking lot – in uniform.

The firefighters lost to the Rock Hill Police Department 2-1 Saturday in a charity soccer match at Winthrop University between the Eagles’ men’s and women’s games. Ticket sales brought in nearly $2,600 for breast cancer research funding. Police and fire T-shirts sales are ongoing to raise more money.

Before the game, both agencies agreed that the chief of the losing agency would wash their soccer opponent’s vehicle. They settled on the Chevrolet Tahoe because both the fire chief and Rock Hill patrol officers drive the same model.

Next year, Channell says not if, “but when,” the fire department beats Rock Hill Police, they’ll negotiate higher stakes.

He says the firefighters could bring “at least one” larger vehicle – maybe a ladder truck.

Rock Hill Police Chief Chris Watts and others looked on Monday morning while Channell and Blackmon slapped soapy water on the Tahoe and fielded a few barbs from the crowd. Winthrop men’s soccer coach Rich Posipanko showed up to give support, too.

Police Capt. Mark Bollinger, who refereed Saturday’s game, broadcast the car wash live from his phone using Periscope, a social media app. The video had 146 live viewers.

Channell said Saturday’s game was fun and worth having to wash the police SUV.

The cops weren’t too hard on their peers: the wash bucket was filled with warm water since Monday morning’s temperatures climbed from the 30s to the the 50s.

And, in deference to his chief, Channell said he gave Blackmon the wash brush with a handle; “I took the sponge.”

This story was originally published October 19, 2015 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Rock Hill cops cash in on sudsy water wager with firefighters."