Life
Cop lets mom of three off the hook after violation, then shows up to her home with generous gifts
When mom got pulled over she thought she was in for it, but the officer took her by complete surprise when he let her off with a warning. Only a couple of hours later she was stunned when the officer showed up to her home with very generous gifts making her mouth drop.
Kristin Danley-Greiner
11.01.19
The second a driver sees those flashing red and blue lights in the rearview mirror, panic strikes. Whether a motorist was speeding, has expired plates or ran a red light, an expensive ticket likely looms.
Andrella Jackson was tooling down the road with her three little girls when Milwaukee District 5 Officer Zimmerman pulled her over. Her heart sank, because she had a good idea why she had been flagged. Not only did she not have a valid registration for her vehicle, but her young daughters were loose in the back seat.
Flickr/Scott Davidson
Source:
Flickr/Scott Davidson
Officer Zimmerman had noticed that Andrella’s children were not properly restrained when he initially pulled her over for the invalid registration. Two of the girls should have been safely secured in car seats, he observed.

But the money to purchase an expensive car seat just wasn’t in Andrella’s budget.

“There was three kids in the back, two of them were very young. Didn’t notice any car seats or any restraints. Clearly, they weren’t wearing seat belts because they’re jumping around back there waving at me.”
Andrella explained to Officer Zimmerman that she had recently bought the car at an auction and hadn’t had time to register it yet. She also admitted that she simply couldn’t afford car seats.
“With bills coming up and winter coming up, I got to get coats and boots and shoes and stuff, so it was kind of hard for me.”
Flickr/Ruth Hartnup
Source:
Flickr/Ruth Hartnup
A parent himself, Officer Zimmerman fully understood Andrella’s plight. Families often struggle to make ends meet and, with three kids of his own, Zimmerman instantly felt sorry for Andrella.
“I thought of my kids jumping around. What if a car hit them and they flew and got seriously hurt, if not killed?”

So rather than write Andrella a ticket, Officer Zimmerman decided to help her out instead.

He took off for the nearest Walmart and purchased two brand new car seats for $75 for the girls. Even though he got called away to another emergency, he didn’t forget about Andrella and the girls.
Facebook/Love What Really Matters
Source:
Facebook/Love What Really Matters
The kindhearted, compassion cop returned to Andrella later on and properly installed the car seats he bought in her vehicle so her girls would be safe the next time they traveled somewhere.
“I got these for you and your kids so your kids can be safe and you don’t have to worry about at least this part of the situation you’re in. She kept saying thank you and the kids kept saying thank you.”
Andrella admitted that with the girls safely nestled in new car seats courtesy of Officer Zimmerman, she could now focus on saving up for the rest of the winter clothing her daughters need.
“Now, I’m able to finish getting coats. That saved me 70 something dollars on buying coats and hats and gloves. He’s awesome. I really love him. I really appreciate everything he did for me.”
Facebook/Love What Matters
Source:
Facebook/Love What Matters
Officer Zimmerman emphasized that he did not purchase the car seats for any accolades or attention.

“I didn’t do this to be praised or ‘atta boy’ or anything like that. I did it because I’m a parent and I want nothing to happen to these kids.”

Facebook user Jill Schoenberg still complemented Officer Zimmerman for what he did.

“Amazing generous act of kindness! Thank you Officer Zimmermann! Car seats are not inexpensive and I know you don’t make a lot but appreciate your commitment to keeping children safe.”

Not having a car seat poses a life-threatening risk, but having one that’s improperly installed also is a serious hazard. Properly secured car seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent, according to I Drive Safely. In Milwaukee so far this year, officers have written more than 120 citations for children not being properly restrained in a vehicle.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for children ages one through 12 in the U.S. Thousands upon thousands of child passengers 14 years or younger are killed and injured in car crashes. It may seem obvious that car seats or seat belts would quell this problem, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) discovered that annually, more than 618,000 kids 12 and under ride in vehicles without being properly restrained.

Thank goodness Officer Zimmerman chose compassion over a citation and made sure Andrella’s daughters did become one of those statistics.

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Article Sources:
WTMJ
People
Facebook/Milwaukee Police Department
To learn more read our Editorial Standards.
By Kristin Danley-Greiner
[email protected]
Kristin Danley-Greiner is a contributor at SBLY Media.
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