Massachusetts State Trooper Luke Bonin, 35, assigned to the State Police Dartmouth Barracks, had just left court when he saw a homeless woman on the side of the road holding up a sign asking for help.
He drove past the woman and later returned with two meals, one for her and one for him. But she was unaware of the officer’s intention.
“Thinking he was there to remove her from the side of the road, she immediately stated to him that she would leave, that she knew she shouldn’t be there with her sign. But Trooper Bonin told her, ‘I’m not here to kick you out.’ He then extended the two meals and told her to pick one,” the Massachusetts State Police wrote on its Facebook page.
Bonin then sat on his cruiser’s bumper, and ate with the woman—Lynn Murphy, a homeless mother of four—and had a normal conversation with her.
Bonin never told anyone about this wonderful random act of kindness because he did not want any publicity.
However, a passerby could not help but take a picture of the scene and gave it to the state police. The picture, which was first posted on a Fall River, Massachusetts, Facebook group page by Jacob Morse, has had over 40,000 shares.
“Yes, Trooper Bonin, we know you do not want or expect publicity,” the Massachusetts State Police wrote. “We know you didn’t want to be noticed, but you were, and the job is proud of you. We commend you for your selfless act, and for ‘doing the right thing’ for someone less fortunate than most people.”
