An Indiana police officer gained national attention for a small gesture that's sending a positive message.
Officer Ricky Howard, of the Fort Wayne Police Department, was patrolling the neighborhood when he noticed a young boy with his shoes untied.
“He was running and his shoes were untied,” the officer recalled to Indiana's WANE NewsChannel 15. “And I said, ‘Hey little man, you need to tie your shoe.’ He said, ‘I don’t know how.’”
Officer Howard, who has been on the force for almost 30 years, offered to tie the young boy’s shoes and then went on his way. But, the action touched many, much like the time a cop helped two siblings who were struggling to carry laundry bags in Philadelphia.
A passerby named Melissa Caballero snapped a photo of the moment and shared it on her Facebook page.
“Thank you officer for showing our youth that cops aren't always the bad guys they are made out to be!” she wrote.
Although Officer Howard is surprised the photo got so much publicity, he is glad that it's giving virtuous cops like him a good name.
“If this is what it took to get people to understand we are not all bad, thank you,” he said.
Please SHARE if you'd like to see more cops like Officer Howard!
