IMPD officers spill the beans on “Promposal”

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A Mount Vernon teen found a unique way to ask his girlfriend to prom with the help of two off-duty IMPD officers who wanted to help create a memory for the couple.

When Bailey Patterson saw not one but two IMPD cars following her after school Wednesday she started to get nervous.

“I was making sure I stopped at every stop sign and I went the speed limit and I was trying to be really, really cautious,” she said. “And I was like ‘why are they following me right now and why are there two of them?’”

In the car were her boyfriend Ryan French and her best friend Bailey Grandstaff, both trying to keep a straight face.

“She was flipping out,” French said. “We were trying to make it like we didn’t know anything and were like ‘what did you do?’”

“I had to keep looking out the window,” Grandstaff said. “I really wanted her to cry.”

It all started when French and Grandstaff tried to figure out a unique way he could ask Patterson to prom.

“I kind of threw in that ‘what if he tried to recreate a memory?’” Grandstaff said.

That’s when it hit them. Patterson had gotten a ticket six months ago for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. So French thought he’d play off that and get the police to help him ask her to prom.

Enter Officers Jason and Molly Groce, who live next door to Grandstaff.

“When he told me what he wanted to do, I was in for it,” IMPD Officer Jason Groce said. “I asked my wife to marry me kind of in a similar fashion.”

Originally it was just going to be Jason helping pull of the “Promposal” but when Molly found out about it, she wanted in on the action too.

So Molly and Jason, each in their squad car, waited across from the school and then followed Patterson into the neighborhood. Jason could see Patterson’s face in her side mirror as he flipped on his lights and pulled her over.

“She had no idea what was going on and that made it kind of awesome,” Jason said.

“Even before we pulled them over he looked back and gave us a thumbs up through the window,” Molly said. “So I was excited.”

Jason ordered the teens to put their hands out the window, then had French and Grandstaff exit first and come back toward his car. Molly, who was videotaping it all, gave Ryan a sign she’d made for him, complete with glitter.

Jason then told Patterson to get out the car, continuing to face forward, and ordering her to put her hands higher in the air. Then he had her turn around to see French holding the sign asking her to prom.

“I knew he was going to be creative but I didn’t think it was going to be that creative,” Patterson said. “

French is just grateful for the officers’ help.

“They said it was the best thing they’ve ever done on the job,” French said.

“Absolutely best traffic stop we’ve ever made,” Molly said.

The Groce’s stress this was a one-time deal. They just wanted to help out some “good kids.”

Patterson already has her prom dress – it’s the 25th at Union Station – and is busy plotting how to get back at French and Grandstaff.

As for French, he’s not sure he’ll be able to top this “Promposal” next year but definitely plans to try.