When it comes to those whose life’s work is fighting crime, there are few more dedicated than Officer Mike Kelly.
Not only does Mike serve in the police force, but he also works a side job as a security officer in Walmart. Responsible for preventing thefts, refusing entry to people who might cause trouble and recovering goods already stolen, Mike very much has his hands full.
So it was one day, with people coming in and out of the store, the parking lot full of busy vehicles, that he would have been forgiven for missing something that was occurring within the store. Fortunately, Officer Mike Kelly didn’t miss it, and he says God is to thank …
Amongst the hubbub and throng of activity, Officer Kelly’s eyes honed in on a situation he simply couldn’t ignore. He saw a young father with his four children, struggling to pay their grocery bill at the checkout. He didn’t know if it was a financial or technological issue, but he soon realized he had to step in.
As Officer Kelly explained to WRCB-TV, he felt God’s hand on his shoulders:
“I just felt God telling me, saying, ‘Just go help him.’ [I’m] getting extra money to be there and I’m just like, are these people going to go hungry when I’m just sitting here making a little extra money for myself?
… I’m looking down at the little girl, and the little girls looking up to her dad, and I look in the [shopping cart.] It’s just Ramen noodles. I don’t know if it’s a financial thing, or if the card just didn’t work.”
It was Jermaine Bowe, another shopper who happened to be at the same checkout, who witnessed what Officer Kelly did next. The generous cop paid almost $80 to cover the family’s food bill. Jermaine shared his version of events on Facebook in a bid to identify the officer. It transpired Kelly had simply returned to work as normal after his charitable act.
“Just witnessed another extraordinary act by our men and women in uniform. A police officer paid for the groceries of a customer here at Walmart. The best part, the customer told the police officer ‘God bless you,’ and the police officer responded, ‘I am already blessed.’ I love it.”
Once tracked down, Officer Kelly refused to accept his status as a hero. He merely wants others to follow his lead and help others in their hour of need.
He told WRCB-TV: “Look for somebody to help there’s someone around all the time to help maybe just food but maybe something else maybe just go up and talk to them.”
We think everyone should aim to be a little more like Officer Kelly.
If you agree this officer deserves all the praise in the world, share this article to pay tribute to him!
