ATLANTA — An Atlanta police officer who went viral for her act of kindness to a homeless man is revealing the emotional reason she gave him a pair of shoes.
Atlanta Police Officer S. Thomas was caught on camera giving shoes to a barefoot man in the parking lot of a grocery store last week.
The Zone 5 officer said she noticed a man walking barefoot in the rainy parking lot.
“I was working my beat and I saw a man with no shoes on, or they were badly damaged. So, I asked him if he would still be here when I came back,” Thomas said.
She could have ignored him and continued working, but Thomas’ large heart would not let that happen. She hopped into action and decided to do something about the man’s lack of proper footwear.
Thomas got the man a pair of shoes and socks.
Sadly, when she returned, he was no where to be found. She placed the items in the trunk of her car with hopes of running into him again while working her beat.
Sometime later, while working an extra job, she spotted a different man outside who happened to be barefoot. She went into her trunk and presented the shoes.
“I’m a sneakerhead,” Thomas said. “I love shoes, so sometimes I may put shoes in my trunk to give to people who may need them. It’s never a time I don’t think of others.”
Thomas goes on to say, in part, why she has such a giving spirit.
“I haven’t always been able to give,” she said. “So that now that I am able to, I just like to help.”
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Thomas was unaware that the interaction was recorded by a bystander.
The video was later posted on social media and now her kind gesture has been seen by many.
The Atlanta Police Department saw the video and posted about it on one of its Facebook pages. APD stated in the post, “Officers with APD routinely show care and consideration to the citizens of the City of Atlanta and perform random acts of kindness without seeking applause. These interactions never make the news. These deeds are just part of any given day for our men and women in blue.”
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