As yesterday’s story about the birthday cake ingredients proved, parents can often be driven to break the law in a desperate attempt not to disappoint their kids.
This rang true for a US couple who were recently reported to the police for stealing shoes for their children, and hunting gear to provide food for their family.
Three policemen – Sergeant Adam Lamb and Deputies John Balowski and Kyle Boyd – were called to the scene of a Walmart, where they found the couple in question with their two young children.
Explaining the situation to a local newspaper, Lamb said: “We found out through speaking with them that they were having an extremely difficult time financially, which is why they stole the items.”
When asked if the kids – believed to be 2 and 4 years old – had any footwear, the mother produced two battered pairs of shoes bearing holes.
The scene was heartbreaking for the police officers, with Lamb recalling: “The kids were crying and the four-year-old kept asking us not to arrest their daddy. It’s always a tough position to be in, because when the law is broken we have to do our jobs. But it’s tough for kids to see their daddy get arrested.”
Moved by the family’s situation, the officers charged the man with third-degree retail fraud – a misdemeanour. They then went on to purchase shoes for the children out of their own wages, delivering them to the grateful mother.
While reports of the officers’ kindness have made their way online, Lamb insisted that they were only doing what was best for the family.
“We weren’t looking for any recognition. Any one of the deputies in this department would do and has done the same thing,” he said.
