This pair of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department deputies went the extra mile to help an older woman—in fact, they pushed her heavy wheelchair that extra mile.
The Lancaster, California Sheriff’s Station got a call a wheelchair blocking traffic on Oct. 2.
Two officers were sent to investigate.
When Deputies Chapman and Montanez arrived on the scene, they saw an older woman in a stalled electric wheelchair sitting immobile on the side of the road. The chair’s batteries had run down and the lady was stuck.
The first solution the deputies considered was simple—they offered to give the woman a ride to her home, which was about a mile away.
The lady roundly rejected that option—she needed her wheelchair to get around, and without it, she would still be stuck. On top of that, her expensive wheelchair would be sitting by the side of the road, still creating a traffic hazard and potentially inviting theft.
This briefly stumped the deputies. The wheelchair was very large and heavy—too big to fit in the trunk or back seat of the patrol car.
An Irresistible Force Meets an Unmovable Burden—and Triumphs
It didn’t take long for the two deputies to imagine a more acceptable—and considerably more strenuous—alternative.Montanez offered to sacrifice himself for the good of the populace he had pledged to protect.
While Chapman and the lady followed behind in the air-conditioned cruiser, Montanez pushed the heavy wheelchair the mile to the lady’s home.
Chapman helped as best he could—by making jokes about how slowly his partner was pushing this heavy burden.
“You can pick it up—only about one mile an hour right now,” Chapman radioed to his laboring partner.
The wheelchair’s owner got a good chuckle out of that.
Bravo to these two Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies for showing their willingness to work hard—and to make bad jokes—for the good of the community.
Friends Read Free