It was a day like any other for an Oklahoma police officer, that is until he saw a homeless woman walking down a quiet road. Pulling over to make sure that everything was alright, the cop was left utterly shocked after seeing what was at her feet – and that’s when he sprang into action.
Tulsa County sheriff’s deputy Brandon Hendrix was working security when he spotted a woman walking down the street barefoot.
Casey Roebuck, Director of Public Information for the Tulsa Country Sheriff’s Office, explains:
“We’re in downtown Tulsa and we’re not too far from the homeless shelter. So, we get a lot of transient folks wandering around downtown, but normally they’re wearing shoes.”
This woman, however, was not. And that was simply too much for Deputy Hendrix to take. So, he sprung into action, approaching the woman to ask if he could remedy the situation.
“Do you mind if I take you and buy you some new ones?” he asked her. Although she was hesitant at first, she agreed after another officer joined the two and she felt a bit more comfortable.
Officer Brandon took the woman to a local Walmart since that was the only place open at the time, and they headed to the shoe department.
Once they got into the large retail location, he told her to pick out whatever pair of shoes she wanted to have for herself. She took her time going through the shelves to make sure she got a pair of quality shoes. Then she followed Hendrix to the checkout counter.
“They matched the dress she was wearing, so she was excited,” the spokeswoman said.
Deputy Hendrix didn’t stop with just a pair of shoes, though. He also offered to buy the woman in need some socks so she wouldn’t have to be barefoot in her new pair of shoes.
Since the incident, a picture of Hendrix and the woman at the Walmart checkout line has gone viral – and it’s clear why. However, the kind-hearted officer says he doesn’t understand all the attention he’s getting.
“I would hope that someone would do the same for someone in my family who needed something,” he said. “It’s not like it’s a big deal. It’s just a pair of shoes.”
“Great job, Deputy!! Thank you for everything you all do to protect us!” writes a Facebook user.
Another user tweeted, “this is the kind of policing I can support. Keep it up.”
I think it’s safe to say that this world could use a few more people in it like Hendrix. With all the flack that police officers are getting these days, this is just the kind of news that needs to go viral.
Source: AWM
