Three New York City Police officers decided to help a woman accused of shoplifting on the 4th of July. The woman was held at a local Whole Foods after she was accused of having food in her bag that she didn’t purchase. Lieutenant Louis Sojo and officers Esnaidy Cuevas and Michael Rivera happened to be in the store grabbing snacks and drinks when security approached them, explaining the situation.
“She told me she was hungry,” Lieutenant Sojo told reporters. He looked in her bag and saw the groceries and knew what he had to do. “We decided to say, ‘We’ll pay for her food,’” he explained.
The security guard was surprised but escorted the officers to a register to pay for the items. The woman was also overwhelmed by their generosity. “She was extremely emotional, she couldn’t speak. When you look at someone’s face and you notice they’re actually hungry, it’s pretty difficult as a human being to walk away from something like that,” the lieutenant explained.
A customer in the store happened to witness the heartwarming moment and took a picture, which he shared on Twitter. “This woman was being held by security. She had food in her bag she didn’t pay for. When the NYPD showed up, they paid for her food. Happy 4th…!” the man wrote.
The officers were also recognized by NYPD Chief Terance Monahan, who tweeted, “Cops like Lt. Sojo and Officers Cuevas and Rivera of the Strategic Response Group are the kind-hearted cops who quietly do good deeds for New Yorkers in need. My thanks to @pboz for highlighting the often unnoticed.”
Source : https://www.littlethings.com/police-officers-groceries-shoplifting/