Police Officer Matt Lima was sent in to arrest two suspects shoplifting items from a Shop & Stop store in Somerset, Massachusetts, but ended up paying for their Christmas groceries instead.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the suspects of the shoplifting incident are two women. Some of the items that the women bought did not appear on the receipt. Officer Lima pulled one of the women aside so he could listen to her part of the story.

Lima said that the woman was working, and the children’s mother was off work that day, along with family issues. The woman said she took items from the store, so her children can have a Christmas dinner at home.

And as a father, Lima decided that he had to do something about it.

“I have two girls myself,” Lima said. “So it kind of struck me a little bit.”

Having to hear the woman’s story about why she had shoplifted items, the officer had decided, in return, to do a good deed and paid for the groceries so that their children can enjoy a Christmas dinner with their family.

The groceries are then restocked on the shelves of the store. The officer later purchased a 250-dollar gift card just so the family could shop at another store to fill their shopping carts with the Christmas goodies they need for the holidays.

Lima said that the family was obviously in need and that he can’t imagine stealing that need from a family who just wanted to have a Christmas dinner with their children.

“They were very thankful. They were kind of shocked,” the officer said.

After the incident, Officer Lima did not press any charges on the shoplifting suspects.

The police chief, George McNeil, congratulated Officer Lima for his act of kindness towards the family.
In his short letter to the Somerset Police Department, McNeil stated that Lima’s actions towards the humble family had given an example of what it means to protect and serve the members of our community.