Being a police officer is not just about enforcing laws. It is about supporting a community and helping people. At least, that’s what the Forth County Sheriff’s Office believes. They recently made a post on their Facebook page showing one of their deputies, Deputy Sheriff Chris Owens going out of his way to help a disabled woman pump her gas.
However, the deputy’s act of kindness didn’t stop there.
When the woman realized she only had $8 on her, Owen said not to worry, the entire fill-up was on him.
The heartfelt story has since gone viral.
In the last few days, it has been shared thousands of times all around the world.
“A handicapped woman asked one of our Deputies to pump her gas. While chatting with her, our Deputy discovered she did not have enough cash for the gas needed to make it all the way home. So our Deputy filled up her tank with his own money,” the department wrote.
They were having a friendly conversation when the deputy noticed that the woman could use some assistance.
He felt it was his duty to help her out.
“This job isn’t just about carrying a gun and a badge – it’s about serving others,” the department wrote.
Sometimes, not all the responsibilities of a job are listed in the job description.
A police force is many times the bedrock of a community. Despite common misconceptions, officers aren’t actively out there looking to punish people. In fact, it’s the total opposite. They are serving the individuals and families that live in their district and helping to make it a safe and welcoming place for all to live in.
While sometimes they make mistakes, we can’t be too hard on them. After all, we are all only human. However, Deputy Owens is definitely one of the good ones.
“The driver explained that she was on her way home and needed to get gas. The lady told me she was handicapped and asked if I could pump her gas for her,” Owen told Yahoo Lifestyle.
He filled up the amount the woman originally requested, but when he found out where she was going, he decided to do something very nice.
The woman never asked him to top up the whole tank, but that’s exactly what he did.
“I asked if she thought that would be enough to get her home, and she told me where she was going and that she thought it should cover it. I did not want her to run out of gas and be stranded, so I decided to just swipe my credit card to pay for her gas,” Owen explained.
It is such a lovely story. Law enforcement officers have one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Every day, they are out there on the streets putting their lives on the line to keep us safe. Despite all that, we often forget that they are just regular people too.
In that moment when Deputy Owens decided to pay for the gas, it really had nothing to do with being a police officer at all, it was about being a good person. If we all took a page out of Deputy Owen’s book, we’re sure the world would be a much kinder place.
Check out the full viral Facebook post from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
https://www.facebook.com/GOFCSONC/photos/pb.208506199239915.-2207520000.1569347041./2498784580212054/?type=3&theater