Police Officer Buys Groceries For Two Women Caught Shoplifting Instead Of Arresting Them

It seems like everywhere we look, we’re bombarded with bad news. However, one story that popped up recently is truly heartwarming and might go a long way in restoring your faith in humanity. After two women were caught shoplifting in Stop & Shop in Somerset, Massachusetts, Police Officer Matt Lima responded to the store’s call but instead of arresting the women, he paid for their shopping and sent them on their way, CNN reports.

1. The women didn’t scan everything they bagged at self-checkout. The police report revealed that while the women, who were shopping with two small children, did pay for certain items in their cart, they also put several others in the bag that they didn’t scan through the self-checkout tills. An associate stopped the women as they left the store on December 20 after observing the crime in progress.
2. Officer Lima had sympathy for the women’s plight. It’s obvious they were struggling with being able to afford food for their families before the holidays and Officer Lima couldn’t in good conscience arrest them. “I have two girls myself, similar on age to the two girls that were there, so it kind of struck me a little bit,” he told WJAR. “The woman I talked to, she explained she was working, but the mother of the children was not working and had some other family issues going on and that what she had taken was Christmas dinner for the kids.”
3. The women really were simply buying food. While Officer Lima would have been unlikely to be so understanding had the women been stealing alcohol, cigarettes, or other non-necessities, he noticed after going through the bags that they really were only getting food. “Obviously, this family was in need and I can’t imagine having to make the decision to go to Stop & Shop and just only pay for what I can afford — or do I go there and try to take things for Christmas dinner for the kids?” he said.
4. They were served a no trespassing order but Officer Lima didn’t press charges. “They were very thankful, they were kind of shocked. I’m sure a lot of people in that same situation would be thinking that there was going to be a different outcome, and maybe they would be arrested or have to go to court.” He also bought them a $250 gift card so that they could do their grocery shopping at another store without having to worry about what they could afford.