Last year has been hard across the board. Between a global pandemic and unprecedented financial crisis, it’s led many families to making hard choices that they never would under normal circumstances. But sometimes those hard choices lead us to see the real heart of good people like one officer in Somerset, Massachusetts who came to the rescue of persons in need.

It was just five days before Christmas when…

Officer Lima, from the Somerset Police Department, was called out to a shoplifting incident at a Stop & Shop at 815 Grand Army Highway.

He was available and close enough that he could immediately speed over to lend a hand. Since it was close to Christmas, he must have expected that someone was being reported for stealing health and beauty supplies right before the holidays.

Once there, Officer Lima discovered that…

Lima spoke to an asset protection associate who claimed to witness two women with two young children shoplifting. The associate claimed to have witnessed them using the self check-out line and only ringing up some of their purchases, but keeping other items in their basket.

Lima caught up to the women before they left the parking lot and checked their receipts to learn that the associate was correct. Both women were asked to wait inside while another associate kept the children busy so they wouldn’t hear what was going on.

The women told Officer Lima a story he wouldn’t forget

Officer Lima had been on shoplifting cases before and he might have expected the women to double down and claim it was all a mistake. But they broke down crying and explained that they had fallen down on hard times in 2020. They couldn’t afford to give their children a nice Christmas dinner and saw no other option.

Officer Lima could tell they were being honest when he took another look at the receipts and the stolen items. He said that:

“There was nothing else on there like health and beauty items, shampoo, anything like that, It was all food.”

Officer Lima was touched by their story

Officer Lima believed them, because he knew how hard the year’s events had hit the country. Millions of Americans fell on hard times with unemployment rates rising as high as 14.7% back in April 2020. So he could believe that these women were good people who made the hard choice in a terrible situation.

He could also see himself in the exact same situation. He told WJAR interviewers that:

“I have two girls myself, similar in age to the two girls who were there. So it kind of struck me a little bit.”

So Officer Lima did something incredible

This kind officer didn’t arrest the women and he talked with the store and convinced them to not press charges. He did warn the women to not trespass at the location. Letting the women go was extraordinary enough, but then he took it one step further.

He went into the store and purchased $250 in Shop & Go gift cards and gave them to the women so they could purchase what they needed from another location without the children being the wiser.

Officer Lima explains his actions by saying:

“Obviously, this family was in need, and I can’t imagine having to make the decision to go to Stop & Shop and just only pay for what I can afford — or do I go there and try to take things for Christmas dinner for the kids?”

His kindness was rewarded when…

Officer Lima’s actions made headlines and the hearts of millions melted by his incredible gesture.

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By William Maldonado

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William Maldonado is a contributor at SBLY Media.