Officers helped a homeless man get some new shoes.
A homeless man landed a huge new pair of kicks, thanks to some police officers who saw him in need and took action.
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Police officers from Indiana’s Lawrence Police Department informally “adopted” the homeless man over the last few weeks, helping him through some hard times.
They would frequently see him at a local Waffle House, where the officers had been called on several burglaries.
One day, a reserve officer from the department bought him breakfast. “They sat and chatted about life. The officer found out he lost his home in a fire. He’s going through a season of life that’s challenging,” Deputy Chief of Police Gary Woodruff told InsideEdition.com.
When they finished their breakfast, the officer asked him if there’s anything he really needed. “The gentleman showed the officer his shoes. The soles were completely blown out; they looked almost like flip-flops,” said Deputy Woodruff.
“The gentleman told the officer, ‘It’s winter and it’s been really cold. I could really use a new pair of shoes. The problem is, I’m a size 17,’” said the deputy.
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The officer enlisted the help of his fellow officers and their spouses, but they had no luck finding shoes that big. One of the officers suggested calling the Indiana Pacers basketball team.
“Sure enough, they had shoes that were ordered for [former Pacers star] Roy Hibbert, who wears a size 17,” said Deputy Woodruff.
The reserve officer picked up the shoes, and, along with some of his colleagues, brought them to the homeless man.
“It was an emotional moment, according to the officers there. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place, from the officers to the gentleman,” said Deputy Woodruff.
The humble officers who have been helping the man insist on staying anonymous, and don’t want to take credit for their good deed.
“They said, ‘We’re not doing this for any recognition. We’re doing this because it’s the right thing to do,’” said the deputy.
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