A police officer in the United States has been photographed by a passer-by sharing lunch with a homeless woman showing that many in law enforcement deeply care about the neediest in our society.
29-year-old officer Michael Rivers of the Goldsboro Police Department was photographed by a member of the public sharing lunch with the woman who was wearing a T-shirt with the words 'Homeless. The fastest way of becoming a nobody' written upon it in black-marker.
While Michael had been walking by the woman, it was when he noticed the writing on her T-shirt that he decided to sit with her, talk, and share his lunch, which was two pizzas bought from a local store.
Chris Barnes was the member of the public who posted the photograph to Facebook with the caption:
"Cassie was out on her lunch break and observed Goldsboro's Finest enjoying lunch with a homeless person. Law enforcement does so much for our community, with a lot of it going unnoticed. We see you Goldsboro P.D. Keep up the good work."
In an interview with CNN, who tracked Michael down after the video went viral, he said:
"God put it on my heart to get her lunch. So I turned around and I asked her, 'Hey, did you eat today?' And she said, 'No.'"
Adding:
"Homeless people are just people who are down on their luck. It can happen to anybody. I come to work and my method is, 'Who can I bless today? Who can I make smile? I'm not the one that wants to take somebody's father or mother away and put them in jail."
The officer spent 45 minutes with the homeless woman and learned that her name was Michelle and that she had a 23-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter who had liver disease and was now in foster-care.
Rivers' boss, Police Chief Michael West, stepped up to praise the fine officer, telling CNN:
"The circumstances around our job are often an unpleasant call to service, but this picture just shows we're human like anyone else and any chance we get to serve the community and help people, we take that chance. I'm very fortunate to have Officer Rivers in our department."
[Based on reporting by: Higher Perspective]
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