Acts of Kindness
Cop grasps elderly woman after her car breaks down unaware stranger watching closely from a distance
He had no idea someone was watching them and that pretty soon his police chief would find out about it.
Marilyn Caylor
06.15.20

Good cop versus bad cop. It’s a story that seems to harken back to the beginning of time, or at least to a period when we learned to question the strong arm of the law.

But for every dime-a-dozen story about cops gone bad, there’s a flashy gold piece like this one that stands out for all the right reasons.

Besides, wouldn’t you rather read an uplifting story about why the “little old lady” crossed the road, and how a police officer’s kindness brought a stranger to tears?

Well, here’s the man behind the dastardly act, and let’s hope he inspires others to do more of the same!

Facebook/Sherry Hicks
Source:
Facebook/Sherry Hicks

It’s fairly commonplace these days for people to catch police officers misbehaving, especially now that everyone itching to get proof of them being a bad cop on camera.

But for every wrong that we see perpetrated by law enforcement, there are a hundred anonymous good deeds that go unnoticed every single day.

Sometimes we get lucky, and an awesome act of kindness is witnessed, like this one that was captured in a photo by Sherry Hicks.

If a picture says a thousand words, then it’s clear why no explanation is needed to understand why it’s been shared thousands of times.

Facebook/Sherry Hicks
Source:
Facebook/Sherry Hicks

Crossing the road may be a piece of cake if you’re a spring chicken with a goal of getting to the other side. But for Elaine Kant, who is a bit slow and unsteady on her feet, the thought of crossing a busy intersection was frightening!

Unfortunately, she didn’t have much choice. The poor woman had just been in an auto accident, and her car was being loaded onto a tow truck.

She needed to find a place to sit down, and getting there by herself wasn’t going to be easy.

Screenshot via WVLT
Source:
Screenshot via WVLT

That’s when Patrol Officer Michael Westfield of the Alcoa Police Department stepped in to save the day. After taking down her information, he proceeded to do what he does best – be a really nice guy!

He gently took Elaine’s arm so that she could steady herself as they walked across the street. When she reached out to place his hand in hers, he immediately did the same.

Sherry wrote in a Facebook post that it brought tears to her eyes to witness such pure, simple kindness.

“…this is the way it is supposed to be HELPING EACH OTHER no matter who it is. With all the destruction going on right now I just want to say thank you to the Officer and to this little lady because it shows these 2 have respect for each other which has been lost in this generation.”

Facebook/Sherry Hicks
Source:
Facebook/Sherry Hicks

After getting her to a shaded area, Officer Westfield brought Elaine some water and called AAA on her behalf. She told WVLT News that:

“This man came in was calm what was going on and he was able to solve the problem by protecting us.”

Elaine’s run-in with law enforcement was everything she expected.

“We said he was such a positive person that we would pray for him that he would be safe too, because I think policemen are the enemies now.”

Screenshot via WVLT
Source:
Screenshot via WVLT

The community’s response to Officer Westfield’s actions has blown Alcoa Police Chief David Carswell away.

Maybe that’s because being the good guy is the normal thing to do in his eyes!

“We work traffic accidents every day, we help people every day. And I guess given the things that are going on nationwide, this was just a snapshot of a moment in time where one person is helping another person.”

As for Officer Westfield, the Chief describes the 10-year department veteran as:

“…very humble and soft spoken. He’s a giant of a man, but his heart is just as gentle as can be.”

Screenshot via WVLT
Source:
Screenshot via WVLT

Officer Westfield has shown us that there are still cops out there who honor their oath to serve and protect their community.

Chief Carswell is proud of the people on his force, but went on to say of recent events:

“The things that have happened have shed a negative light and tarnished the image of the badge.. you’ve got to get into this job for the right reasons.”

Screenshot via WVLT
Source:
Screenshot via WVLT

The quintessential tale about a police officer helping a “little old lady” cross the road is an oldie, but still a goodie.

That’s because it reminds us that no matter how much wrong we see in this world, there are always people out there who aim for excellence.

So long as we continue to do right by the elderly, a generation that is largely ignored in our society, there’s still hope that the world can be a better place!

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