US cop buys eggs for woman caught shoplifting

HOUSTON, DEC.14 (PTI)  A white police officer in the US gifted 12 eggs to a grandmother after he caught her stealing five eggs from a store to feed her starved family in Alabama. 

47-year-old Helen Johnson, who had not eaten anything for two days, burst into tears when William Stacy bought her a dozen eggs instead of arresting her for the petty theft. 

After the encounter was caught on camera and went viral, a groundswell of support poured in from food to cash and clothing as people came across the family's plight. 

Before even making it out of the door, she had been stopped by staff and told the police had been called. But instead of arresting her, Tarrant police officer William Stacy talked to the supermarket’s officials, who said they would not press charges.

He then walked over to where Ms Johnson was waiting and presented her with a box-full of eggs.

“She started crying, she got very emotional, and was very apologetic,” Officer Stacy told Al.com. “She tried to give me the money she had on her, $1.25.” “I felt like it was the right thing to do, I didn’t want to pass judgement on her,” he added.

Ms Johnson, who lives with her two daughters, a niece and two grandchildren aged 1 and 3, revealed to the policeman she had been desperate for the eggs as her family hadn’t eaten for two days. Her daughter’s $120 welfare cheque for the month had been lost in the post, and her disability money had not yet come through.

But when officer Stacy showed up, he didn't cuff the woman. He went inside and bought the grateful - and unexpecting - grandmother a dozen eggs. 

Now, Tarrant police force has been inundated by calls from people up and down America offering to donate food, money and clothes to the family who sleep on mattresses on the floor.

Police have had to set up a fund for the money pouring in for the Johnson family, while Stacey and other officers delivered bags of food to Ms Johnson on Wednesday.

“This woman’s getting plenty of food,” Tarrant Police chief Dennis Reno told Al.com. “She shouldn’t go hungry for a while."