An Alabama police officer was praised after buying new shoes for a teen he spotted in a store who was wearing shoes covered in duct tape.
Cpl. Sebastian Goldman was at a local grocery store picking up food for jail inmates when he noticed that the employee who was helping him check out had duct tape wrapped around his shoes.
“I looked at him and said: ‘What’s up with duct tape? Is that something all the kids are doing? A fashion statement?'” Goldman told AL.com. ”
The 19-year-old employee admitted to Goldman that he ripped his shoes at work and was planning on buying new ones when he got paid. Goldman proceeded to ask him what his size was and then went on his way.
The officer delivered the food to the inmates and then visited the Shoe Dept. in Hueytown, where he bought the young man a new pair of shoes. He returned to the store and delivered the shoes to the employee.
“I said: ‘Man, here you go. I didn’t know payday was Friday or two weeks from now,'” Goldman said. “He said, ‘What do I owe you?’ and I told him to just pay it forward.”
Local resident Angela Roach Scory took to Facebook after the generous act of kindness to shine a light on Goldman’s gesture.
“Special shout out to Hueytown Police Officer Goldman. Today he saw a young man with duct tape on his shoes at Food Giant and bought him a new pair of shoes! Everyone at Food Giant this morning was in tears when he brought them to the young man!!!! Way to go Office Goldman,” she wrote in a post alongside a photo of the teen’s torn shoes.
“Like so many officers, one of the things that attracted Corporal Goldman to police work was the chance to help people. I am pleased and proud of what he did, but not surprised,” Hueytown Police Chief Chuck Hagler told AL.com after the story went viral. “Good people act when they see a person in need and most police officers that I know are fundamentally good people.”
Many readers applauded Goldman for going above and beyond the call of duty to help a young man in need.
“Just shows all police officers aren’t. One bad one can.cause people not to trust. Thank you officer for being so caring,” one Mad World News reader commented on the site’s Facebook page.
“This is a hard working young man you can tell he is not spoiled. Willing to work with his shoes taped up! Bless him and the police officer,” another wrote.
“God bless both the officer and the young man! Both are hard working, responsible males and good role models,” another added.