Watch to find out more about this officer’s act of kindness.
Video Credit: CBS This Morning
When we see so much negativity and hatred in the world some random acts of kindness restores our faith in humanity. A police officer from Chicago-area has been praised for giving his shoes to a homeless man who was desperately needed a new pair.
Niles Police Officer Brian Zagorski and his partner Michael Dati noticed a homeless man was wearing shoes which were in a very bad condition as he tried to walk through a parking lot.
“He was having trouble walking,” Zagorski told KULR. “The rubber on the bottom of his shoes were folding underneath as he would take a step.”
Zagorski has worked for 12 years on the force, he went to talk to the man. First, he offered him a bag of H.O.P.E., which includes hygienic supplies like toiletries and a blanket, but the man declined the offer.
But Zagorski wanted to help the man, and he offered him his shoes. The homeless man, clearly needed it, but he hesitated.
“His eyes kind of lit up, kind of speechless. He didn’t say no, which was the first time he didn’t say no to me,” Zagorski said.
Zagorski asked him his shoe size, and the man said: 10.5.
It was exactly the same size of Zagorski’s sturdy work shoes, and the officer told the man to try them on and keep them.
The Niles Police Department posted on Facebook, saying that the homeless man “stated he couldn’t believe the Officer gave up his shoes.”
According to WLS-TV, Dati captured the moment of the exchange without his partner or the homeless man noticing, and the Niles Police Department shared it on social media.
The public praised Zagorski for his act of kindness and soon it went viral and became a national news story.
“I was happy,” Zagorski told WGN-TV of the exchange. “I made a difference, and that’s essentially what we sign up to do, is to make a difference.”
Zagorski came home barefoot to take another pair of shoes, but he was happy knowing that he had made the right choice.
Zagorski told CBS This Morning that “if you are given the opportunity to make a difference for someone in your community, you should do it.”
This is really touching, we should help people without thinking and wasting time just like Zagorski.
Recommended Video
“Son surprises stepdad with official adoption papers, his reaction is amazing”