After learning that an elderly woman and her blind husband had been scammed by an unlicensed contractor, Maryland police intervened, restoring not only the couple’s broken roof but also their faith in humanity.
To genuinely help the elderly couple, a team comprising several officers and community members gathered to finish the work, validating the life-changing touch of true kindness in the process.
“The patrol squad that covers their Ellicott City neighborhood decided to trade their duty belts for tool belts and fix the roof themselves,” Howard County Police Department said.
Officer Jason Sagel said that the squad pooled its resources.
“We have some handy guys on the squad and her neighbor is an actual roofer, and is going to oversee the project and make sure that it’s done correctly,” Sagel said.
“Ms. Pat called me over one night when I got off of work and she explained to me she thought she got scammed,” said roofer Daniel Nam, who is the couple’s neighbor. “I was absolutely furious.”
A local branch of The Home Depot lent huge support to the repair effort by donating materials, tools, roofing nailers, and shingles.
A crack team of officers donated off-duty time to complete the repairs, spearheaded by Nam and his roofing expertise.
Calling the scam a “bad situation for anybody,” Patrol Officer Rob Flynn said fixing the roof was “just morally the right thing to do.”
The officers’ intervention didn’t simply end upon the completion of the roof repairs. On duty, they launched an investigation into the scammer in hopes of ensuring his actions will never be repeated.
“We don’t just patrol this community, we are part of this community,” Howard County Patrol Officer Adam Wood said.
Nam insisted that everybody involved wanted justice for the elderly couple, adding it was “God’s grace” that brought the community together.
