‘More Than Catching Bad Guys’: Photo of Cop Comforting Toddler in Hospital Warms Hearts

(Illustration - Shutterstock)

Kindness is a trait that doesn’t require any training or a special budget, but it is easy to produce and has long-lasting effects. Kindness can also wear many costumes and it is a force so strong that it can be felt by both the receiver and giver. Here’s an endearing story about one police officer from Georgia, United States, who helped a toddler in need.

Indeed, there’s more to the role of a police officer than just catching bad guys. It was a normal day for Officer James Hurst, a police officer from the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department (SCMPD), when he responded to a call of an unsupervised boy on May 9, 2016. The SCMPD said in a press release that a then-16-month-old boy was taken to hospital via an ambulance.

That’s when the boy felt a little uncomfortable and uneasy during a medical examination, as per the Huffington Post.

Seeing this, Hurst immediately jumped to comfort the young boy. Hurst asked the hospital staff if he could help soothe him, and they agreed to it.

Within just a few minutes of lying with him on the hospital bed, the little boy fell asleep in Hurst’s arms and stayed with him for two hours.

Hurst, who is a father of two boys, one with Down syndrome, said, according to a press release: “I just knew this child needed somebody to be there for him. It was just human instinct; humanity. The hospital staff was taking great care of him [but] he was sobbing and crying. I picked him up and within minutes he was asleep on my chest.”

The heartwarming photo of him comforting the child was then taken by someone and was posted on the SCMPD Facebook page, with the caption: “In a time of need, Officer Hurst goes above and beyond to comfort a young child earlier today.”

The compassionate deed warmed social media users’ hearts, and the post has received over 12,000 reactions and some 3,000 shares.

One social media user commented: “Sending love to you Sir, from Ontario, Canada. You are the example; the people that serve and dedicate. Much love and respect for making this world a better place.”

While another wrote, “There are good people in this world. God bless thank. Thank you for what you do.”

A third one chimed in: “My heart goes out to the little boy! And to the officer who did what he did, a father instinct first and only while on duty. If there was more officers [sic] lil him it would be great and amazing. I’m sure his family was proud and touched by his actions and determination with the little boy!”

Hurst did not expect this attention from so many social media, as he said that all the other cops would do the same thing. “This job is so much more than catching bad guys. We do what we need to do for the citizens. All the officers I work with … would do the exact same thing.”

As for the child, he was safe and in good condition. Huffington Post reported that the case was then sent to state social service authorities with the Georgia Department of Family & Children’s Services, and no arrests were made.

As for Officer Hurst, he received a “State Court Domestic Violence Officer of the Year” Award in March 2017 for having “consistently worked to ensure justice is sought and victims’ needs are met.”