An Officer Helps a Single Mum of 5 Kids, Instead of Issuing her With a Fine
None of us like to be pulled over by the police for a driving offence or something simple has having a lapsed registration.
But this is what happened to Laura Grey, a single mum to five children in the US.
The mum knew she had a busted tail light, which had been broken after a minor fender bender.
But money had been tight and although she had insurance and had received the funds to fix the light, she recalled making a decision to wait with the money as times had been tough for her and the kids.
Laura told Fox News, “It was, ‘Do I keep the money to help with bills?’”
So the mum took a chance and continued to drive her van with the broken taillight. But as luck would have it, she was pulled over by a police officer.
The mum was already stressed at the wheel after getting her kids ready for school, so when she was pulled over by Officer Dale Horton, she burst into tears.
The officer had noticed the van the mum was driving had a broken taillight and was going to issue a ticket.
But one look at the mum and the kids in the back, with one child placing a hand on his mum’s back to reassure her made the officer change his tactic.
The Officer told Fox News, “I said, ‘The reason I stopped you is you got a broken taillight, and your registration is out.’”
Officer Horton felt compassion for the mum. And decided instead of issuing her a ticket, he would help her and her kids instead.
“When you have a female in the driver seat with two kids in the back, a child she’s getting to work and she starts crying as she breaks down, and you can tell by her mannerism it’s not fake, you watch her son who reaches over to comfort her — you know… they’re in need.”
The Officer paid for a new taillight and called on a mechanic friend to make the repairs.
Laura was taken aback by the response of the officer, but she was also relieved for the help. It meant she could drive without fear of being pulled over. “Having that help meant a whole lot to us.”
Officer Horton has worked in law enforcement for 35 years and believes helping people is part of his job.
“I was glad I was there,” said the officer.
It’s stories like these that restore our faith in humanity. But it can also encourage all of us that helping someone in a specific way can make a whole lot of difference to their life.