Parents take every precaution to keep their loved ones safe from harm.
We watch over them, we warn them about potential dangers in the outside world and we do our best to keep them in our sight. Still, bad things can happen no matter how good our intentions are. In those cases, we can only pray that someone will stand up for the right thing or intervene in a dangerous situation.
That was the case for one little boy in Wichita Falls, Texas.
For seven-year-old TJ Smith, it was a normal day like any other.
Smith was outside playing when he saw something unusual. There was a little girl on his street riding a scooter. After a moment, though, a strange man came up from behind and grabbed the little girl. Although Smith initially thought the man was a relative—maybe an uncle—he soon realized something was very wrong.
Without delay, Smith went next door to get help.
First, Smith talked to his neighbor, James Ware, about what he had seen.
“He pointed behind the house and said, ‘He went behind the house,’” said Ware. While Ware started looking for his keys, Smith didn’t wait to let the strange man get away.
Without hesitation, Smith started chasing the strange man on foot.
After a few moments, Ware caught up with Smith in his car.
Smith had chased the man all the way to an abandoned home nearby as Ware pulled alongside him. The man was about to put the little girl through a window to take her in the house when Ware tackled him and held him until police arrived.
Without Smith’s help, Ware would likely not have been able to stop the man in time.
Needless to say, the neighbors were celebrated as heroes—especially little TJ.
The police questioned the abductor and learned that he had sexual intentions with the little girl. Thanks to Smith’s watchful eye and his bravery, those plans were foiled. According to Smith, he was inspired by the need to protect his own younger siblings.
For his efforts, police officers on scene gave him an honorary police badge.
Above all, this story shows how important it is to look out for our neighbors.
Although it’s all too easy not to get involved in the lives of others, sometimes a little bit of help is necessary to make sure bad things don’t happen. As little TJ has shown in this story, we are never too young to do the right thing.
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