Policeman’s act of kindness ‘touched my heart’

POLICE officers in the US have been getting a bad rap lately, but this sergeant’s actions have gone viral for a completely different reason.

Sergeant B Hagarty Picture: Rachel Mitchell/Facebook

A POLICE office in Chicago has shown the softer side of law enforcement when he was pictured buying a homeless man lunch.

Sergeant B Hagarty was having lunch at a Mexican fast-food restaurant when he saw a man riffling through the bin outside. Sergeant Hagarty tapped on the window and asked the man if he was hungry. When the man said he was, the officer invited him inside, telling him to order whatever he wanted because he would pay for it.

The images of the good deed, which were taken by witness Rachel Mitchell, have gone viral online after she posted them on Facebook along with the caption: “Touched my heart so much, with all the cr** police are getting these days it reminds me there’s so much more good out there than anyone ever wants to give credit.

“If everyone did something simple like this every day the world would be a better place,” she wrote.

019th District Town Hall – Sergeant HagartyLeading by ExampleA quote posted on social media, Facebook…Rachel...

Posted by Chicago Police Department on Friday, 4 September 2015

The post, featuring the two images of the kind policeman in action, has been shared hundreds of thousands of times. It was then uploaded by the Chicago Police Department, for which the officer works.

The police department’s post explains that Sergeant Hagarty has been with the force for 35 years and was due to retire at the end of this year. It says the humble officer doesn’t think he did anything out of the ordinary.

And perhaps that’s because for Sergeant Hagarty it’s not. One Facebook user, Jeff Goof, shared a story about the time Sergeant Hagarty helped him out.

He wrote: “I was flying through O’Hare Airport [Chicago] by myself and I was stranded due to snow...
“I spotted Sgt. Hagarty on foot patrol in the airport and introduced myself. I showed him my police I. D. and he immediately got on the phone and started working magic to find me a room and a ride out of the airport.”

The post continues: “We exchanged business cards. I look at his card every once in a while and wonder if he is still on the job. Now I know. Thank you Sgt. Hagarty.”