HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ — Eric Aparicio wasn’t expecting this during his Monday policing shift. Outside of Sprouts Farmers Market, the Haddon Township officer found Phillies star Bryce Harper.
Aparicio merely planned to stop in and check on the supermarket. In the parking lot, he saw the two-time National League MVP, who was loading groceries into his vehicle while with his daughter.
When they made eye contact, Aparicio thought, “Holy cow, that’s Bryce Harper!”
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“Initially, I wasn’t going to ask him for a photo,” Aparicio told Patch. “But I have a 13-year-old kid, and my wife is also a big Bryce Harper fan. I know if I told them I ran into Bryce Harper at work, they probably wouldn’t believe me.”
Aparicio asked Harper for a quick selfie. That photo has gone locally viral on the Haddon Township Police Department’s Facebook page.
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The interaction was brief, as Aparicio wanted to respect Harper’s privacy. Aparicio thanked him for a good season, and Harper thanked the officer for his service to the community. Aparicio then entered Sprouts as planned.
The officer says he and his family are big Philly sports fans.
“It’s not every day that you run into the face of a franchise for a major team,” he said.
Harper is no stranger to the area. The seven-time All-Star bought a Haddonfield home in 2019 — the year he joined the Phillies — according to realtor.com. He lives elsewhere in the offseason and will move this winter from Henderson, Nevada, to Knoxville, Tennessee, USA Today reported in July.
The slugger could be in the local area for years to come, as the Phillies have him signed through 2031.
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