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GOOD SAMARITAN

NYPD Cop's Gift of Boots to Homeless Man Goes Viral

'I was never so impressed in my life,' says witness

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by Mary Noble

Senior Editor t

Image: NYTimes

A photo of a police officer kneeling to give boots to a homeless man in Times Square has gone viral since it was posted in the NYPD's Facebook wall on Wednesday night. It's now been "liked" 400,218 times - more that any other NYPD post, according to a spokeswoman.

The photo was taken by Jennifer Foster, visiting NYC from Arizona when she came across a barefoot man asking for change. Here's the story she sent to the NYPD:

Right when I was about to approach, one of your officers came up behind him. The officer said, 'I have these size 12 boots for you, they are all-weather. Let's put them on and take care of you.' The officer squatted down on the ground and proceeded to put socks and the new boots on this man. The officer expected NOTHING in return and did not know I was watching. I have been in law enforcement for 17 years. I was never so impressed in my life...It is important, I think, for all of us to remember the real reason we are in this line of work. The reminder this officer gave to our profession in his presentation of human kindness has not been lost on myself or any of the Arizona law enforcement officials with whom this story has been shared.

Foster herself works in law enforcement, as a civilian communications director for the Pinal County Sheriff's Office in AZ.

The good samaritan turned out to be counterterrorism Officer Lawrence DePrimo. He learned the man's shoe size - 12 - then went into Sketchers and bought $75 outdoor boots, to the shock of store manager Jose Cano: "most of us are New Yorkers and we just kind of pass by that kind of thing," said Cano. DePrimo says that he's kept the receipt for the boots on him ever since, to remind him ''that sometimes people have it worse.''

Via the New York Times. H/T to Politix user FFX_VA.
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Comments (view in Forum)

  • MRMacrum
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    @Zoe2012 - Well he couldn't be a Right Winger either. A Right Winger would never have been thoughtful enough to include socks. :-)
  • Penn1699
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    @MRMacrum if you don't have socks you get blisters, leading to infection and possibly death for someone living on the street. Common sense... something of a rarity these days.
  • Malitia_Man
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    @MRMacrum

    We could argue about what political affiliation he is all day, but clearly he's not affiliated with either one!!! With all of the class-warfare that both established parties promote, it's clear to see that the man is a libertarian!!!

    Here is another video of a police officer, but instead of blessing someone with a gift of clothing, this officer blesses someone with the protection of their 1st Amendment rights!!! You won't see this here, due to the fact that the Politix Admin. believes and promotes limitations on our rights of the 1st Amendment!!!

    Link:
    https://www.google.com/url...

  • View all 10 replies >

  • o
    NO-BAMA
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    People might want to be careful about doing that. Mayor "Doom"burg may ban all kindness to homeless people. Especially since he has already banned giving food to the homeless, if it has not been checked for its nutritional value first.
  • Dan_Tien
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    I think that there should be a law similar to the "Good Samaritan" law that protects people who stop to help at accident scenes from lawsuits for food stores and restaurants that allow homeless people to take food that would otherwise be thrown away. A couple of years ago I made the mistake of telling a waitress that I was going to give my leftovers to a homeless vet I had met on the street outside their restaurant. They then refused to give me the doggy bag, citing Health Department rules and threatened to call the police when I demanded them. I asked the guy outside if he would mind eating after me, and he said "NO!" He was near skin and bones. So I gave him $20 bucks and gave the restaurant a rude hand gesture. To me it is a crime to see a man who survived the war in Iraq only to starve on the street surrounded by people who are throwing away edible food in locked dumpsters.
  • u
    MOOGG
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    @Dan_Tien I used to do this all the time - back when they didn't move the homeless along to places unseen. Drove my husband crazy but I thought it was such a waste of food to throw in the trash and it helped someone who was hungry. I can't believe the waitress wouldn't give you a take away, sigh, I will never mention the reason why now that you've updated us.

  • View all 7 replies >

  • Keyjo
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    Yes! Truly one of New York's finest.
    "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
  • PNWest
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    I like seeing stories like this. Being a cop is not an easy job and those who do it deserve our thanks. Too often we only see cops in action when something bad happens. Here's to you Officer Lawrence DePrimo. Thanks from all of us.
  • u
    Jet_Silverman
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    Great! Now let's all do something similar. Surely there are homeless people in your city. If you don't have anything physical to give, like money or clothing, sit down and talk with the person. The homeless are very lonely, and often abused.
  • hwyangel
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    It doesn't always have to be a homeless person. I think everyone knows at least one person that can use a little loving kindness. Shoveling snow for an elderly neighbor, cooking a meal for a single mom, or even helping a family member without expecting anything in return can be just as honorable.
  • u
    MOOGG
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    @hwyangel That's the spirit! I did something like this during Sandy - checked in on all the elderly neighbors without power for 10 plus days and cooked meals. It felt good to being doing something worthwhile instead of bitching at the power company.
  • PNWest
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    @hwyangel Doing things like this does more for the giver than the receiver. It makes you feel good to do the right thing. The world would be a better place if we all did this more often.
  • DARSB
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    Could it be behavior like this from NYPD helped them have that day without violent crime?

    Kinda appropro, we're entering December very soon, and there's a custom of mine I'd like to share. Ever since a fling with Buddhism in my youth I've made it a habit every December to never pass a beggar without dropping a dollar into their hands. I don't know if the money is immediately spent on alcohol, drugs, or feeding hungry kids and I don't care. The point for me is that I am, in a small way, giving that person a little more choice, a bit more control over their day. It seems to me that's about the best thing anyone can do for someone else.
  • u
    Pickles_McGee
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    If you look at the blurred hand of the homeless guy and the awkward stance of the officer, this was an action shot by an amateur with non-professional equipment. It supports the spur of the moment photo story, and there is also the photographer being from Arizona that lends credence.
  • u
    mtkopf
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    Stop being a gloomy gus! Just because someone is not getting beat down means it was staged? Dude, why are you so pessimistic?
  • stepped_in_it
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    If you haven't noticed, there are cameras all over. At signals, ATM's, corners, in front of stores AND on almost every cell phone out there! You can't even fart without somebody catching the (green) cloud.....LOL

  • View all 8 replies >

  • joyshusband
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    Thanks to the officer for caring and giving, but lets also give the store employee a little credit too, I heard on the news today the boots were $100, the store employee gave the officer the employee discount which made the boots $75.
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