ATLANTA — On Halloween, an Atlanta Police officer's bodycam video captured a moment of humanity and compassion.
APD said in a post on Facebook that it was truly a moment of going beyond the badge to shine "a bright light on what it means to be human first."
Officers were dispatched to a "public indecent call" in northwest Atlanta. When officers arrived, they met with a man wearing clothes that were too loose and didn't fit properly.
APD added Officer J. Nguyen recognized the man needed empathy rather than police action.
In the officer's bodycam video, you can hear Nguyen asking the man if he had a change of clothes nearby. When Nguyen learned he didn't have any, the officer took it upon himself to go to Walmart to buy him some clothes– instead of writing him a citation.
Nguyen walks into Walmart, while on duty, to buy the man a new shirt, pants and shoes. He told the cashiers in the video that a man outside needed clothes and he was just "doing the best that I can."
"We could not be prouder of Ofc. Nguyen. He demonstrated not only his professional training, but innate compassion and concern for a fellow human being," APD wrote. "We are fortunate to have Ofc. Nguyen and a cadre of officers, supervisors and commanders who dedicate their lives to public safety, put their lives on the line to fight crime, and who also care about the community they serve. Job well done!"
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