Its most unfortunate at times that while Police officers make headline news during negative incidents of excessive police force, their good deeds go unnoticed. A Police officer is a family man just like you and me. In several incidents, sometimes what may seem as excess police force could be out of compulsion and an effort to neutralize a situation rather than for the pleasure of it. Here are 5 positive police stories that may change your mind against Police officers and renew your faith in the department.
Due to a cash crunch Robert Wood and his family were compelled to sleep in their car while moving back to Oregon from Alaska. Upon reaching Eugene, Oregon he parked his car in a city park and prepared for the night as usual. It was then that Lt David Natt spotted the vehicle and told Wood that he would have to move as it wasn’t allowed for them to stay in the park.
But while explaining to a tired wood and noticing the two boys, two and four years old asleep in their parents laps, he did the unthinkable. He made wood and his family follow him to a motel where he checked the family in. he also insisted that the bill would be taken care of by the Police department. It so happens that the University Fellowship Church had endowed a special fund for Eugene Police to help people like Wood. Lt Natt made use of the fund without thinking about fame but his story titled Good Samaritan cop was posted on Facebook and traveled around the world. “I have tears in my eyes,” Wood posted to Facebook on Feb. 25, praising the police officer’s act of kindness. “Holy loving lucky stars. I got tears in my eyes.”
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The little kids at Watt’s Gigglez and Grinz daycare in Murrayville loved watching cop cars whizzing by. It made them super excited to see a policeman wave to them. But imagine their delight when one day, rather than just wave, British Columbia Constable Joel Shoihet actually stopped his car, got out and sat on the ground beside them.
Watt noticed the incident and wrote a letter to the Langley times in which it said “This will be a forever memory for these kids, and something I’m sure they will brag about forever. It was the day they had circle time on the sidewalk with a hero,” Officer Shoihet really made those kids feel special.
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Perhaps the sweetest and most positive police story involves a little girl named Bexley. While on his lunch break on July 25th 2015, Officer Patrick Ray of the Rowlet Police Department responded to a 911 regarding an unresponsive toddler. Since he was in the area, he rushed to the scene. Bexley Norvell only 22 months at the time was unable to breathe and her mother Tammy Norvell couldn’t understand why the girl was turning blue. (They found out later that she had choked on a penny). It took Ray just 27 seconds to get the toddler breathing again using the finger sweep method; she was then handed over to the fire department who also arrived soon after. According to Ray who watched Bexley being taken to the hospital "the reality of it all started to set in," Ray said. "It became more emotional for me ... I just wanted to go home and hug my kids."
Tammy Norvell later found out that Ray had also visited Bexley in hospital. Cut to one year after the incident and Bexley to show her appreciation invited officer Ray to a tea party. Ray knew right away it was a special occasion. "I don't have any girls. I have boys — it's a lot of baseball and such," he said. "So this was something that I couldn't refuse."I knew it would be very special for her, her mom, and even my wife. It was very special for everyone. To share.” Ray even chose to follow the right tea party etiquette by sitting in the little chair Bexley had arranged for him.
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"We've developed a strong bond," Ray agreed. He and his family have shared dinners and birthday parties with the Norvells — they even spent this past Thanksgiving together.
In November 2015 the Dutch Police Department in Eindhoven received an emergency call from a mother of five who suffered from low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). She needed to be rushed to the hospital. When policemen and paramedics arrived on the scene and escorted the lady to the hospital, a few policemen stayed behind to watch the kids before they could be taken to a relative’s house. The policemen noticed that the children were hungry and had not eaten.
The cops then did the most marvelous thing by cooking the children dinner of fried eggs and sandwiches as well as fruit plates. The unnamed policemen also posted a picture of them doing the dishes soon after. The FB post was liked by 72,203 people and attracted 6000 comments praising the good deed of these policemen.
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When Officer Joe Hutson was doing his rounds, he spotted a man in a wheelchair trying to mow his lawn. It was then he and his partner officer John Khillah decided to help him. Office khillah went and picked up a lawn mower, weed trimmer and leaf blower from the Kalamazoo Public Safety Station and together they got down to helping the Michigan man mow and trim his lawn. Several passersby stopped to witness the kindness of the officers who did a fantastic job.
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It is positive police stories such as these that renew our faith in the system.