“Can I watch you pump your gas?”
Sometimes people say the darndest things, but these 7 words have to be one of the craziest things to come out of a teenager’s mouth.
The mere fact that this was actually the earnest request of a 16-year-old boy, and that he was asking it of a pretty female police officer after sneaking up behind her, makes the words coming out of his mouth seem even creepier.
In fact, it sounded like one of the worst pick up lines ever!
However, after a selfie of this cop and teenage boy hugging each at the gas pump made the rounds on social media, the heartwarming truth of this story was revealed.
It turns out that this young man’s simple question is probably one of the sweetest things you’ll ever hear!
“You shouldn’t be afraid to get gas or have your hand on your hip when you get gas.”
What would you do if a strange kid came up and tapped you on the shoulder, asking if he could watch while you fill up your car?
If you weren’t already a cop, like Deputy Tommi Kelley happens to be, you’d probably call the cops on him for being a weirdo!
Even in the world of fetishes, watching the ladies work the gas pump is an extremely odd thing. Thankfully, this boy’s intentions were on the up and up!
The only thing 16-year-old McKinley Zoellner wanted to do was make sure that Deputy Kelley felt safe.
That’s because an officer in the area had recently lost his life while doing the exact same thing she was doing – pumping gas.
The teen’s heartfelt actions came hot on the heels of the tragic death of a Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy in Houston, Texas. Deputy Darren Goforth was filling up his cruiser at the gas station when his life came to a sudden, senseless end.
So, when McKinley noticed the female law enforcement officer pumping gas all by herself, he just wanted to make sure that she felt safe and protected.
Even though it’s a police officer’s job to protect and serve, sometimes they could use a little protecting, too. Especially in light of the tragedy that had just occurred.
The way the teen went about it was a little bit unusual, but the madness behind his method was certainly very endearing!
After McKinley sneaked up behind Deputy Kelley, he surprised her with both is stealth, and the very unusual question.
In an interview with KREM, the officer said:
“He walked up behind me and said ma’m, ma’m, so our first reaction is, yes?”
McKinley’s responded as follows:
“I was like ‘Can I watch you pump your gas. She asked me why and I said to make sure you’re safe.”
He had the Deputy’s back, and he wanted her to know it!
“I was right there, kind of front in her, just watched and made sure no one was coming, making sure nothing was going to happen to her.”
How sweet is that? His papa bear instincts were coming out in full force, and it was an incredible thing for her to watch unfold.
“When I hugged him, he said ‘I’ve never been hugged by a cop.”
However, the Deputy did feel a little bit sorry for the kid because he was getting pelted by the rain. However, that only made his actions that day seem even sweeter!
“The poor kid was getting rained on. It was pouring. After a full tank of gas, he’s still getting rained on.”
As a reward for his outstanding kindness, Deputy Kelley gave the teen a squishy mama bear hug.
“It was just amazing to see her face, after that she gave me a hug.”
The two did more than just hug. They captured the sweet moment in a selfie, which went viral all around the world and has now been shared hundreds of thousands of times.
“I hope people understand that we would risk our lives for them.”
It means the world to Deputy Kelly to know that there’s a young teenager out there who would stand by her side while she fights the good fight.
“To be nervous having to pump gas is sickening to me. So when you have someone that is so young and mature and thoughtful, and came up to help, I was very impressed with him.”
As for McKinley, he’s a little bit flustered about being in the limelight.
“I was just trying to do something good for someone, but people found out and it turned into a little more than I expected.”
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