It’s always inspiring to hear a heartwarming story that includes our local police officers. While they protect us from harm and serve our community’s needs, we often don’t hear enough about the little things that police officers do behind the scenes to bring a positive message about law enforcement.
The police team in South Hill, Virginia prides itself on being seen as a group of reliable officers that strive to make sure the people in their community always feel comfortable calling them when they need help or have questions. One officer went above and beyond.
A photo of Police Officer C.B. Fleming recently went viral after he was spotted lying on the ground next to 2 small children. What was he doing, you ask? Well, he was simply playing dolls with 2 kids who lived in the apartment complex he had been called out to for a suspected gas leak.
Officer Fleming was one of several members of the emergency crew team that responded to a call for help about the possible gas leak. He arrived on the scene to find several children from the apartment complex playing joyfully outside, completely unaware that a potentially dangerous situation might be in progress.
The gas leak turned out to not be a threat. However, instead of jumping into his cruiser and heading out, Officer Fleming decided to take some time to show the kids that they could trust their local police officers. C.B. introduced himself to the kids and then proceeded to casually sprawl out next to them on the sidewalk where they were playing with various dolls and toys.
Adults and other kids watched with delight as the children’s expressions changed from ones of apprehension about interacting with an officer, to absolute delight at the genuine interest he took in them.
C.B. noted that during his early years on the force his department was frequently called out to that particular complex. He decided to make it his mission to show adults and children alike that he was there to serve and protect, and he wanted them to know that the police officers are people they can trust.
One resident of the apartment complex, Lesha Roper-Boswell, told CBS 6 that she snapped a few pictures of Officer Fleming spending some time with the kids. She has seen the attitude transformation in her neighbors toward police officers first hand. Small actions like C.B. taking time to play with the children have given residents a new trust in their police officers.
Police officers put their lives on the line for us all the time. We rarely take time to appreciate their service. How does this small act of kindness make you view police officers like C.B. Fleming? Pass along your experiences!