Roby, an officer with the London Police Department in Kentucky, responded to a routine call for shoplifting on Saturday, Jan. 17, but couldn’t bear to put the suspect in handcuffs. He ended up helping him instead.
According to the Sentinel-Echo, the man was accused of taking only one thing: baby formula, which he needed to feed his 6-month-old son.
In light of the circumstances, the store opted not to press charges. Roby also declined to push the matter further.
“Me citing him for court wouldn’t have done any good for him,” Roby told WKYT, explaining what he did next. “He’s already short on money, can’t afford formula, so me making him appear in court, he’s still not going to have any food for that baby.
Instead of handcuffs, Roby bought the “speechless” single father several cans of formula, an act of kindness he told LEX18 isn’t really a big deal.
“You see your son or your daughter in that little carrier,” Roby told the station. “And you think what would you want somebody to do for your son or your daughter?“
“Behind the uniform, I’m a human being and I’m a person out in this community just like any of them. I have a little boy. I’m a father just like that gentleman was,” Roby added to WKYT. “We’re not these robots … There’s a human behind the badge.”
Story Is Taken From The Huff Post