When you post a picture on social media, you're never quite sure who will see it. That was the case for officer Brittany Beard Hilton of Texas, who posted this photo of her and her husband, fellow officer Steven, to her Facebook page, not knowing it would go viral with over 100,000 shares for one unexpected reason.


At first glance, this seems pretty straightforward. Two (incredibly photogenic) cops taking a seflie. Hopefully, they weren’t driving when they took this pic. It doesn’t appear that they are. Other than that, what’s the big deal, right? Advertisement

Well, to get at that, we have to get at the reasons for the pic. via GIPHY As always, context is everything, even in the case of an innocuous selfie featuring two cute cops! Advertisement

In the current climate, police officers have the overwhelming support of the public they serve. I hate police. They're so annoying. — 👸🏾 (@DacheDaniaa) September 13, 2017 But that support has been fledgling recently in the wake of current events that have many skeptical or even downright antagonistic of law enforcement. Advertisement

While law-abiding police officers are the rule, and not the exception, the criticism can make doing their job tougher. The best part of the #PoliceProtest yesterday: these two shmo's getting surrounded & scared... #SFPDTakeResponsability #JusticeForMarioWoods #CrackRockSteady A post shared by Sturg (@crackdaddycaine) on Dec 12, 2015 at 9:08am PST Aside from being a demoralizing environment in which to work, when popular sentiment turns too far against the police, mob mentality can make their jobs downright dangerous. Advertisement

In response to these environmental factors, officer Brittany Hilton wanted to give the world a quick look at what's REALLY going on. via GIPHY (This is where the context gets important. I told you it mattered. Even in police selfies.) Get the real story on the next page.

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