For these cops, upholding the law also meant having compassion for their community members.
Officers James Hodges and Jason Pavlige of Michigan, responded to a call back in February, from a local McDonald's employee, who was concerned for the safety of a child whose family had just ordered food, Fox 17 reported. After arriving at the scene, they found a 10-month-old baby sitting freely on her mother's lap in the passenger seat of a car.
Though that would've typically resulted in a citation, the officers put their money together instead, and while Pavlige stayed with the family, Hodges went to the local Walmart and bought the family a car seat.
The incident was kept quiet until last week, when a Walmart employee called into the police station to report the officers' good deed, ABC News reported. The humble officers, who originally weren't expecting any recognition, say that compassionate acts like this one is exactly what their job entails.
"This is why you become a police officer ... you’re here to help people, whether it’s buy them a car seat or just by talking to them," Pavlige told Fox17. "We got that incident solved and we moved on to the next one."
Hodges told Fox17 that the family, who remains unidentified, had just moved to the area and didn't have the funds to purchase a car seat, nor any friends or family in the area who could bring one to them. So, the officers took matters into their own hands by not only buying the item, but also installing it in the family's vehicle and giving them instructions on how to use it, ABC News reported.
The officers said that the family was grateful for their work.
"They didn’t say much but were just very appreciative," Hodges told ABC News.
Though the officers have received praise from their department, the two don't seem to be dwelling on the incident. After all, duty calls.
“It’s just part of what police officers do on a daily basis,” Hodges told ABC News.
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