Last week, Michigan Officer Joshua Scaglione pulled over a Chevy Impala for having illegally tinted windows. As he spoke with the driver, LaVonte Dell, he noticed a toddler sitting in the back of the car with no car seat.
When Officer Scaglione asked why his daughter did not have a car seat, Dell shared that he was too tight on money to afford one. After learning about this man’s current situation and watching him tear up, Officer Scaglione decided not to write a ticket. Instead, he told Dell to follow him to the nearest Walmart. The two men walked through the store together getting to know each other before Officer Scaglione used his own money to buy a car seat for his new friend’s daughter. Dell was so stunned by the gesture that he didn’t think to get the officer’s name before they parted.
Moved by the officer’s kindness, Dell shared the story of what happened though a Facebook post. That’s when a search began for the officer so that his exceptional service could be recognized.
The Westland Police Community Partnership wrote on Facebook that, “It was difficult to identify the officer responsible as he had not told anyone about what had happened. It is clear that his sole purpose was to assist the driver, not to receive recognition.”
Police were eventually able to identify the officer as Joshua Scaglione and to publicly thank him via Facebook in a post that read: “The Westland Police Department would like to express how proud we are of the officer responsible, Officer Joshua Scaglione. We would also like to thank the driver, LaVonte Dell for coming forward and sharing this experience with us. In a world filled with negative stories, the fact that you shared yours has had an unbelievably positive impact on all of us. Thank you.”
Sources:
http://jalopnik.com/this-cop-bought-a-family-a-car-seat-instead-of-writing-1772905823?rev=1461606309445&utm_campaign=socialflow_jalopnik_twitter&utm_source=jalopnik_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow
http://wtvr.com/2016/04/26/police-officer-buys-struggling-father-car-seat-instead-of-giving-him-a-ticket/
