Cops Arrive to Arrest Woman Shoplifting in Grocery Store, End up Doing Something Unexpected

In a touching display of empathy, three NYPD officers chose kindness over enforcement when they encountered a woman accused of shoplifting at a Whole Foods in Manhattan’s Union Square.

On the afternoon of July 4, 2019, Officers Esnaidy Cuevas, Michael Rivera, and Lieutenant Louis Sojo of the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group were inside the store purchasing lunch when they noticed a commotion near the exit. A woman had been stopped by security for allegedly placing food items into her bag without paying.

Upon approaching the scene, the officers learned that the woman was hungry and had no means to pay for the food. Moved by her situation, the officers decided to pay for her groceries, which amounted to approximately $35. “When you look at someone’s face and you notice that they need you, they’re actually hungry, it’s pretty difficult as a human being to walk away from something like that,” Lieutenant Sojo remarked.

A bystander, filmmaker Paul Bozymowski, witnessed the act and captured a photo of the officers assisting the woman. He later shared the image on social media, describing the moment as compassionate and noting the woman’s visible gratitude.

The officers’ actions garnered widespread praise, with NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan highlighting their deed on social media, referring to them as “kind-hearted cops who quietly do good deeds for New Yorkers in need.”

This incident serves as a poignant reminder of the impact of empathy and understanding, even in situations that typically call for strict enforcement.