Last week, police officers in Washington state stopped a homeless man outside a Target store after receiving reports that he’d taken some winter clothing. Officers say the man explained he needed warm clothes to survive the freezing weather. The department later shared the encounter publicly.
During the conversation, the man told officers he was homeless and dealing with a painful hand infection after his prescribed medication was stolen. They brought him to a hospital to receive treatment, and knowing he would likely return to cold conditions afterward, they decided to help him.
Using funds from the BlueBridge Alliance, a nonprofit that supports community-focused policing, officers bought him a jacket and snow pants. Police say the case will still move forward through the court system, but their decision was about concern for the man’s immediate safety.
Source: FOX 5 ATLANTA