A while back, Rachel Mitchell made a post to her Facebook page. She told of how she was watching a Chicago police officer who was sitting at a window seat inside a Chipotle restaurant. At some point, the officer spotted a homeless man digging through the trash, so he knocked on the window to get the homeless man’s attention. When he did, he mouthed the words: Are you hungry? The homeless man nodded yes, that he was.
The police officer then motioned for the man to come inside the restaurant. When he did, the officer asked him to put down his belongings he was carrying and to sit down at his table. He then told the man to order anything he wanted and that he – the officer – would pay for it. When the man received his food, they shook hands and the officer left.
Says Rachel: “It touched my heart so much, with all the (crap) police are getting these days it reminds me there’s so much more good out there than anyone ever wants to give credit. If everyone did something simple like this every day the world would be a better place.”
A little later, that police officer was identified as 19th District Town Hall Sgt. B. Hagarty. He knew about all the fuss that his deed was making on the internet, because Rachel’s post had went viral.
019th District Town Hall – Sergeant Hagarty Leading by Example A quote posted on social media, Facebook… Rachel…
Posted by Chicago Police Department on Friday, 4 September 2015
And he was a little embarrassed by all of it. He did not think he did anything outstanding, just a simple act of kindness that all men and women should do when they get the chance.
He didn’t tell anyone about it afterwards; didn’t want to brag; didn’t feel the need to. But as he walked out of the restaurant, a woman approached him and thanked him for what he had done. It certainly caught him by surprise and he just smiled and nodded his head. Again, to him it was no big deal. But to so many others, it really was.
Sgt. Hagarty is retired now, but considering how he treated one homeless man, he probably has not retired from doing kind, good deeds for others. And the Chicago Police Department is proud that he served with them, and led so well by example.
