Roswell police officers stopped a man from shoplifting items in a baby carrier Sunday, but when they confronted him, instead of arresting him, they helped him feed his 11-month-old.
Officer Joe Mason described the scene this way: “We waited at the front door for him, confronted him at the front door. We uncovered the baby carrier and found it was baby formula.”
The man told the officers that he had recently lost his job, according to KRQE. He showed immediate remorse for his actions, explaining that he was just trying to feed his 11-month-old baby.
“He just seemed like he was down on his luck,” said Officer Chris Bradley.
“It kind of happened without even being said, you know, we all knew what the right thing to do was,” added Mason.
Bradley, Mason, Officer Anthony Armijo and a New Mexico State Police officer all chipped in to buy $80 worth of formula for the man. They shared resources with him and are helping him to find a new job.
Their sergeant shared the story on Facebook and added, “Great job day shift. I am honored to be your Sergeant.”
The Facebook post has quickly garnered attention, and several people have offered diapers and other assistance to the man.