A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officer responded to a burglary call to find a mother devastated because her son’s birthday presents were stolen from her car. Purchased with their tax refund, she had no money to replace the gifts.
Officer Derek Pratico wrote up the police report but before moving on to the next case he showed us all what community service looks like.
The next day he went to the store and purchased with his own money a toy police car, a birthday cake and card, and a Spiderman backpack. He brought it to the boy and also handed his mother a $100 gift card to “help her get back on her feet”.
The Sheriff’s office learned of the good deed a month afterward and asked to share Officer Pratico’s photo on its Facebook Page saying that everyone needed to know about his amazing heart.
Pratico said, “I did not do this for any recognition, I just felt it was the right thing to do at that moment.”
The photo tallied more than 7,000 comments on Facebook, mostly thanking him for making a positive impact on the Jacksonville community.
RELATED: Policeman Buys Bed and Desk for Troubled Boy Who Had None
Police Officer’s Kind Note Eases Fears of Sleepless Girls
Police Give Their Saturday to Fixing Kids’ Bikes