Police Officers Become Known for All the Right Reasons

The same might be said of police officers. Many can go years with few citizens knowing their names. All because they do their jobs well and are fortunate enough to avoid controversy.

Some cops do get national recognition, however. Some for the right reasons and others for the wrong reasons.

Today I'd like to share with you some stories of law enforcement officers who have become known for their heroics and kind deeds.

There is nothing scarier for a parent than seeing their child suffering and not knowing what to do about it.

This has happened many times, of course. But sometimes a police officer is able to step in and help the child.

In South Carolina, Deputy William Kimbro was making a routine traffic stop in June 2019 when a woman in the car drew his attention to her choking baby daughter.

Kimbro performed CPR to save the infant's life. A year later, the mother asked Kimbro and his wife to be the child's godparents. They readily agreed.

Deputy Cameron Kinsey was monitoring a recent protest in Palmdale, California, north of Los Angeles.

He was flagged down by a woman in a supermarket parking lot. She pointed him to another woman carrying a limp, 11-month-old boy.

The child had swallowed a small coin and stopped breathing. Kinsey used a finger to dislodge vomit from the baby's throat and turn the coin sideways to allow air to get through.

"Mom did the right thing," Kinsey said. "She was quick thinking and started patting him on the back. I ran over and grabbed the baby. At that point, training just took over."

After a car drove off a bridge in San Diego and landed upside down in the Pacific Ocean, police officers knew they had little time to rescue the occupants.

K9 Officer Jonathan Wiese scaled 30 feet down the side of a cliff. He then used his water training to rescue twin 2-year-old sisters.

"I didn't do the job to be liked every day," Wiese said. "I didn't do it to become rich. I did it because I want to be out there making a difference and helping people."

Last year, Wiese received Officer of the Year honors for arresting the gunman who opened fire in a synagogue north of San Diego.

Deputy Michael Cessare of the Allegany Sheriff's Office in Maryland was on routine patrol earlier this month. He noticed a young boy struggling to carry his bicycle in 90-degree heat.

After stopping and discovering the bike could not be repaired, he gave the child and his bike a ride home in the squad car.

A few hours later, Cessare returned to the boy's home. There he presented the child with a new bike he'd bought with his own money.

In Jacksonville, Florida, officer Terrance Hightower did something similar. He saw a man having problems with his broken bicycle. Hightower took the man to a local sporting goods store and bought two new bike tires for him.

Responding to a possible theft at an Albuquerque, New Mexico convenience store, police officer Ryan Holets noticed movement in a nearby grassy area.

A pregnant woman was about to inject her male companion with an illegal substance.

During the arrest process, the homeless woman told Holets how much she wanted her unborn child to have a stable home. Several months later, Holets and his wife adopted the woman's baby girl and named her Hope.

Sergeant Jim Edison said, "(Holets) wasn't just taking a call. He was changing everybody's life around him. It's so unselfish. I was just humbled."

Sometimes police officers prove to be a big help to citizens just by thinking on their feet. Such as Seattle officer Eric Michl.

He was able to retrieve a purse for a woman despite it being miles away. The woman had just been dropped off at home by a rideshare driver when she realized she'd left the purse in his car.

She reached the driver on her phone, but he refused to return her property. At least until Michl got involved.

The officer took a selfie in full uniform and sent it via text message to the driver. His message made it clear the driver would be arrested if he did not return the purse. The driver quickly got the woman's purse back to her.

In Rock Island, Illinois, a police officer went the extra mile for a citizen to make her comfortable.

An elderly woman was sitting in her wheelchair by the side of the road. Officer Tyson Nichols stopped to help.

He learned her electric wheelchair had broken down. So, he contacted a local bus company to arrange to have her picked up.

Realizing she'd have to wait in the heat, he then pushed her up a steep hill to a shady spot. His action was noticed by a passerby, who posted it to social media.

Positive stories have a tough time competing with negative ones in the news. But they deserve some headlines too.