Policemen See Homeless Man With No Shoes on Cold Night, Buy Him $80 Pair With Their Own Money

Policemen See Homeless Man With No Shoes on Cold Night, Buy Him $80 Pair With Their Own Money
Courtesy of Phoenix Police Department
Epoch Inspired Staff
Updated:

At the start of the new year, on a cold winter night in Phoenix, two local police officers checked in on a homeless man sitting outside a PNC Bank.

Officers Benjamin Carro and Michael Hubbs noticed that the man had neither shoes nor socks on. He did not hesitate to tell them how miserably cold the night was without shoes to keep his feet warm.

Their response was one he did not expect.

The interaction between the trio in January was captured on one of the officers’ bodycams, and on March 8 was posted on the Phoenix Police Department’s Facebook page.
(Courtesy of <a href="https://www.phoenix.gov/police">Phoenix Police Department</a>)
(Courtesy of <a href="https://www.phoenix.gov/police">Phoenix Police Department</a>)

The man is heard saying, “You taking me to jail?” One officer responds, “No. I’m going to take you to Ross and buy you some shoes.”

They are heard asking the barefooted man his shoe size. An 18, he replied. After making a call to a nearby clothing store, they learned that only a size 17 or 19 was available.

Within 20 minutes, after spending $80 of their own money, they delivered a new pair of size-19 shoes to the man, along with new socks, pants, and a shirt.

He was still sitting on the sidewalk when they returned with the new clothes, which he graciously accepted from the officers. He is heard thanking them at the end of the video.

(Courtesy of <a href="https://www.phoenix.gov/police">Phoenix Police Department</a>)

The officers said they were able to relate to the man’s misfortune, as they, too, had once experienced tough times.

“We both come from backgrounds, we weren’t the most fortunate people in life,” explained Carro, as CBS reported. “We chose a career that brings us to the depths of people’s lives and sometimes we come across people like this gentleman in this circumstance. This just wasn’t a circumstance you could ignore, it was a really cold night.”

The touching moment went viral on Facebook, garnering 28,000 likes, to date, and comments hailing the officers for their kindness. Facebook user Denise Michael wrote:

So love this. This police officer is going above and beyond his duty to help someone. So love Random Acts of Kindness. This officer made a huge impact on this man. Not because he is an officer, but because he wanted to help someone in need. This is probably one of the reasons he became an officer—to help others.
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Epoch Inspired Staff
Epoch Inspired Staff
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Epoch Inspired staff cover stories of hope that celebrate kindness, traditions, and triumph of the human spirit, offering valuable insights into life, culture, family and community, and nature.
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