Part of policing means officers can and do place themselves in potentially dangerous—or at least volatile—situations.
Even two officers approaching a lone person on a deserted street late at night could be a potentially life-threatening situation.
But when two officers noticed a woman on the side of the road on a dark and cold January night, something very sweet was to follow.
The Discovery of the Incident
The officers were doing their jobs and as mandated by the Gwinnett County Police Department, they were equipped with body cams. It was during a random audit of footage that what went down that night came to light. And the supervisor carrying out the audit was so appreciative of what he found, he shared it on the Gwinnett County Police Twitter page.
What he saw was officers Nick Boney and Jimmy Wilson noticing a woman carrying a bouquet of balloons on the side of the road while driving their route. They get out of the car and approach her and ask where she’s trying to get to. When she tells them she’s trying to get home, they offer a ride.
You can see the genuine gratitude in her face when she accepts the offer.
According to AOL,
“The officers said they were inspired by the mom — who was walking home with her daughter’s balloons in the cold — and decided they had to do their part.”
More Than Just a Ride Home
The woman starts to share with the officers immediately. As she gets in the car with her balloons, she tells them,
“It is my daughter’s birthday. She turned one, and I want to get her a cake.”
After he helps her into the car, Officer Nick Boney reminds us what the serve part of “Serve and Protect” is all about. He turns to his partner and says,
“I’m going to give you my credit card. Go get her a birthday cake with a number 1 candle.”
He proceeds to hand over his personal credit card, and they manage to smuggle a cake into the car.
As they drive her home, they ask questions about the child, and the woman finally asks if they would like to meet her.
The officers say they would, and that they have a little surprise for her too.
Meeting the Birthday Girl
Upon entering the woman’s home, it’s clear these children haven’t been taught to fear the police. And if this kind of policing is the norm in Gwinnett County, Georgia, there’s a good reason why.
The older siblings run to the officers, hurling themselves at them for hugs. Then they get to meet the birthday girl, who is a little shy with them.
The officers introduce themselves to the family, play with the kids, and finally break out the birthday cake.
Through all of this the little one still isn’t sure what’s going on, but the cake is cut and everyone has a piece.
There’s no telling how long the impromptu party would have lasted, but the officers soon received a call and had to be on their way.
In a time when there is so much bad news about police brutality and the fear some citizens have of them, this is a truly heartwarming story.
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