There’s an old saying, “Sometimes, life is stranger than fiction.” That means on occasion, something bizarre happens that seems impossible. That’s what one police officer experienced. While working, he had an unusual encounter.
August 17
That’s a date, Sargent Coffee, with the Gwinnett County, Georgia Department of Public Safety, an elderly man, and the man’s family will never forget. As one of their many duties, cops patrol streets. Not only do they look for suspicious activity but also people who need assistance.
Out of gas
On this particular day, Coffee spotted a vehicle on the side of the road. Wanting to make sure the driver was okay, he pulled up behind it. After approaching the car and talking to the driver, he realized this guy had run out of gas.
Additional problems
This man was disabled. And, he explained his phone was dead. Without a way to communicate, he hadn’t been in contact with his wife for 15 hours.
Reported missing
Not being able to reach her husband after such a long time, the wife called her local police to report him missing. If you think about, a disabled man sitting on the side of the road because he ran out of gas and with no phone could’ve ended badly. But this was his lucky day.
An alert officer
Thanks to Sargent Coffee, this man didn’t have to worry anymore. As the two continued their conversation, he also discovered the man didn’t live in the area. And in part due to his age, he was lost. The more he tried to find his way home, the more disoriented he became.
Making a phone call
Using his cell phone, Coffee called the man’s wife to let her know he was okay. She stated her husband had left home at 9:00 a.m. the previous morning. But when she couldn’t get hold of him around midnight, she became concerned.
Calling for reinforcement
Different police departments and agencies work together. So, Sargent Coffee called the State Troopers from Post 51-Gwinnett and Post 6-Gainesville. Working as a team, Trooper Hamerla and Sargent Parker, respectively, arranged to bring the wife to her husband.
Going above and beyond
As you can imagine, this man’s wife was beyond thrilled to see her husband in person. But Coffee went a step further in getting this man the help he needed. He called his wife, who went to a gas station to fill up a can. That way, he’d have enough to get back to the station to fill his car.
Finally reunited
Once the man’s wife showed up, they got gas before heading back home. That must’ve been such a huge relief for everyone. According to the department that Coffee works for, his actions weren’t surprising.
An upstanding officer
In a message posted on the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Facebook page, Police Chief Mark McDonough and others said Sargent Coffee always upholds the core value of the team by providing compassion for fellow Georgians. Especially in today’s climate, more people need to understand that Law Enforcement is not the enemy.
Once the story got out, it didn’t take any time before it received 247,000 reactions and 46,000 shares. Although Coffee considers this act of kindness as just doing his job, to the man and his wife, he’s more like a hero.
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