A contact about a shoplifting incident has turned into a heartwarming story that is winning hearts on the web. A US police officer who was named out to arrest a group of shoplifters alternatively paid for their groceries so they could have a Christmas dinner.
Five days just before Christmas, Matt Lima of the Somerset Police Department in Massachusetts was dispatched to appear into a shoplifting incident at a regional supermarket outlet.
Upon his arrival, Officer Lima spoke to a retailer employee who told him that he had observed two ladies with two young kids not scanning all their groceries and placing them straight inside their bags at the self-checkout kiosks.
“The allegation was the two females were scanning some items at self-checkout but bypassing other items and bagging those items,” explained Officer Lima to WJAR. “Dispatch indicated it was two females and two young small children and they were detained by Loss and Prevention over there.”
“I have two girls myself, similar on age to the two girls that were there, so it kind of struck me a little bit,” he mentioned.
Speaking to 1 of the ladies, the cop found that the mother of the kids was “not working and had some other family issues going on and that what she had taken was Christmas dinner for the kids.”
When he checked their receipt, he also saw that all they had purchased was meals – no other necessities.
The retailer issued the two ladies a “no trespass” order, but the police officer decided not to press charges. Sensing that the family members was in have to have, Officer Lima decided to devote $250 worth of present cards so they could buy groceries for their Christmas dinner at one more Stop & Shop place, the Somerset Police Department mentioned in a statement.
The police officer’s kindness has earned him praise on social media and beyond. “I would like to personally commend Officer Lima for his actions,” Chief McNeil mentioned. “His actions exemplify what it means to protect and serve the members of our community. When faced with a difficult situation in which a family was trying to provide a meal for their kids, he made the generous decision to not press charges and instead ensured that they would have a Christmas dinner they could enjoy.”