Officer Spots Young Boy Playing Football Alone - So He Stopped His Patrol Car To Play With Him

Dec 12, 2018

Growing up is difficult for everyone. Whether it be homework, family responsibilities, or just the day to day tasks of life, every kid struggles to find out who they are and determine what they want to do with their life.

These tasks make finding a social life and letting kids be kids difficult sometimes too. While many kids are happy to occupy their free time with video games and social media, many still enjoy sports and the outdoors.

Little League and Cub Scouts remain popular pastimes in most communities. Football is also a beloved activity for most children, as evidenced by the popularity of shows such as Friday Night Tykes.

Football is at the heart of the story of Officer Tommy Bilancione of the Summerville Police Department in South Carolina. Bilancione was on a routine patrol when he spotted a young boy throwing around a football in his front yard.

Stopping his patrol vehicle, Bilancione asked the barefoot boy if he’d like to play catch for a while. Cautiously approaching the officer, a surveillance camera in the yard caught the look of gratitude on the boy’s face as he and Bilancione tossed around the football for a few minutes.

Returning to his vehicle, Bilancione went on with his day protecting the citizens of Summerville.

It wasn’t until later that Bilancione realized the effect his small gesture had on the boy. Posting to Facebook, the boy’s parents thanked Bilancione. In posts that soon went viral, the boy’s father told the world of the police officer’s kindness, thanking Bilancione and telling him that he “rocked.”

Bilancione and the young boy’s story soon spread further than the sleepy streets of Summerville, attracting nationwide media attention. The surveillance video of the two later made it on Facebook, being viewed hundreds of thousands of times.

Eventually attracting the attention of Bilancione’s superiors, the officer got a special shout out on the Summerville Police Department’s Facebook page. Posting a link to the video of Bilancione and the young boy playing catch, the department called Bilancione’s conduct outstanding, ending with the hashtag SPDPRIDE.

In addition to brightening the boy’s day, Bilancione’s small gesture of kindness is proof positive that law enforcement officials deserve our respect and admiration. In addition to protecting our communities, they genuinely care about us, taking time out of their day to make life better for young and old.

What do you think of Officer Bilancione’s actions? Has a police officer or other public official ever gone out of their way to do something special for you? What were some of your favorite things to do as a kid?