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