Somerset, Massachusetts police officer, Matt Lima bought Christmas dinner so two women could feed their family instead of arresting them for shoplifting.
On Sunday, Dec. 20, Officer Lima responded to a report of a shoplifting in progress at a Stop & Shop.
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When he arrived, he was told that the suspects two women with two children were not scanning all their groceries before putting them in shopping bags at the self-checkout kiosks, according to a statement from the Somerset PD.
The officer took one of the women aside to talk without the children hearing, while store employees kept the kids occupied so they would not know what was going on.
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The woman told Officer Lima that they fell on hard times and were taking additional items that they could not afford so that they’ll be able to provide Christmas dinner for the two young children.
Lima served the two women Notice Not To Trespass forms instead of filing criminal charges and purchased a gift card in the amount of $250 with his own money so the women would be able to purchase dinner at another Stop & Shop location.
“I have two girls myself, similar on age to the two girls that were there, so it kind of struck me a little bit,” Lima told CNN affiliate WJAR.
Thank you so much for being so compassionate. God Bless you!