Last weekend, Helen Johnson stopped by a Dollar General store to buy eggs for her kids. She was $0.50 short and faced with her kids going hungry, she tried to steal the eggs. An officer was called to the scene and instead of arresting her,
he bought the eggs and sent her home.
Sitting on a tattered sofa in the small apartment she shares with her niece, two daughters and two young grandchildren, she told WIAT, that she and her family "ate from day to day," but the moment she walked into the Dollar General store, her grandkids hadn't eaten in two days.
"I actually thought that if I didn't feed those babies, they were going to die," she said.
As he handed her the eggs and gave her a hug, a bystander started recording:
The video went viral and the Tarrant, Alabama police department has been inundated with calls from people who want to help the woman and her family.
Today they delivered two truckloads of food to the family:
Officers also set up a fund at People's First Federal Credit Union in Tarrant with all the money pouring in destined to be handed to the Johnson family.
'It's growing and growing and growing,' said Reno to Al.Com. 'A guy called me from New York and just broke down. He said for two months he's been angry with police, and he said this has totally changed his mind.'
But Reno said that the best outcome for everyone out of the heart-warming episode was that Johnson will not be forced to steal just to feed her family, especially during the Holidays.
'This woman's getting plenty of food,' said Reno to Al.com. 'She shouldn't be hungry for a while.'
Video of the officer and Helen Johnson, courtesy of
The Daily Mail: