In cop parlance, catching a whiff of ganja is neatly phrased in reports as “detecting a strong odor of Marijuana.” Last Wednesday evening, Seasonal Patrolman Micheal McDowell detected a strong odor of marijuana while standing near Bellevue Street.

“I couldn’t believe it,” McDowell said later. “They were walking around smoking a joint, like it was Europe or something.”

The pair in question were a 14 and 15 year-old from New Castle County, Delaware, passing a joint with complete disregard for McDowell, standing in uniform and in plain view. McDowell watched them pass, and in disbelief, fell into step behind them. The 14 year old took a toke, passed the joint and let loose a plume of heavily herbed smoke.

McDowell cleared his throat and ordered the kids to stop. The 14-year-old spun on his heel in full-on stoned shock; the 15-year-old, an unreadable slate, dropped the joint down the front of his pants and said, “What.”

McDowell was cuffing the 15-year-old when he began to fidget, shifting his weight onto one foot, bending a knee and wiggling in what could only be described as a shimmy. McDowell uncuffed one hand and let the kid fish the joint from his drawers.

Recreating the dance, McDowell alternates between hip wiggles and prancing. Thus was born the Dewey Shimmy.