Kind police officer took pity on widow who cares for 9 kids after catching her shoplifting
A kind-hearted police officer took pity on a widowed grandmother who cares for nine children after catching her shoplifting.
Bryan Wagner from Woodbury Police Department in Minnesota made a heartwarming gesture of kindness after Sarah Lindgreen was caught stealing steaks at her local Walmart.
Sarah had intended to pay for the meat, but on getting to the self-scan checkout, realized she did not have enough money.
The grandma, who was with her 18 year-old autistic daughter Danielle, slipped them into her bag anyway, but was caught as she was leaving Walmart.
Wagner was called to the scene, with Sarah terrified she would be sent to jail, leaving her children and grandchildren to fend for themselves.
She told KARE11: ‘I wasn’t scared for me.
‘I was scared for my family; what it would mean for me not to be here.’
Sarah insisted that stealing the steaks was her first ever brush with the law, prompting disbelief from Wagner.
He issued her a citation, then went back to his car to check whether Sarah’s story about it being her first offense was true.
Wagner said: ‘I was a little skeptical.
‘Just because we always have to be.’
‘There was nothing. She has less speeding tickets than I do.
‘No negative contacts ever. Our system goes back to the 80s, there’s nothing.’
Wagner was suddenly filled with a rush of pity for the put-upon carer, and said: ‘That’s when I decide that she needed help.’
He drove to a local emergency food shelf and told volunteers there about Sarah’s plight.
They quickly filled Wagner’s cruiser with fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as boxes and cans of staple foods to keep Sarah’s family going.
The kind cop called Sarah to let him know he was coming to her house, prompting the stricken mother to fear she was going to be led away in handcuffs.
And she was stunned when she discovered the truth.
Sarah said: ‘Couldn’t believe it, I was just overwhelmed, stunned, in disbelief…
‘He made me feel like I wasn’t all alone, like I wasn’t carrying the whole load by myself.
‘He’s my guardian angel.’
Wagner was so determined to give Sarah a second chance he even canceled the citation, and told her to throw the ticket in the trash.
He credits a near-death experience last year – which saw a tow truck slam into his cruiser – with changing his outlook on life.
Wagner explained: ‘God gives us second chances and you’ve got to take advantage of them.’