Two young women paid tribute to an act of kindness from a police officer on social media, and the story has since gone viral.
Taylor Ronan, 21, had driven hours away from home with her friend, Hayley, to pick up her sister at the train station, but there was a delay due to a fire on the train, and then Ronan’s wallet was stolen from her car.
In a panic, Ronan called the Old Orchard Beach PD, and Sargent Gerard Hamilton arrived on the scene to help her find her wallet.
The officer then asked Ronan how much gas she had left (not very much), then offered to pay for her to fill up her tank.
“You hear so much negative feedback and publicity [on police officers] in the news today,” Hayley Gulesian told ABC News. “I was truly blown away by Gerard’s act of kindness towards two girls who were just trying to get home.”
The thievery had left the girls shaken, and when Hamilton arrived, he patiently looked for the wallet with them, walking around the beach and all the houses.
The two girls posted the story, and a picture of the officer at the pump, on Facebook, which has now been seen by tens of thousands of people.
“I had to share this story because it really touched my heart and showed me a little kindness goes a long way,” Taylor wrote.
Hamilton, a father of three, said that he just did what he would’ve done for anyone in that kind of situation.
“Honestly, it’s part of a job and and the last thing I‘d like to feel is my children broken down on the side of the road, knowing they didn’t have any money, or any gas,” Hamilton said. “[Taylor and Hayley] were a little set back. They said, ’No, that’s OK, we‘ll try to make it home.’ Being a parent, I told them I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.”
He had found out that the story became a sensation on the web after his own daughter came across the story online.
Taylor said that they plan to give Hamilton a check for the gas money and a thank you gift.
