'Soft' Cop Goes Above And Beyond Call Of Duty By Helping Woman Instead Of Issuing Her Ticket For Speeding
Dec 16, 2020 by apost team
In Washington County, New York, back in October, a police officer pulled a woman over for speeding. He listened to her explanation for driving above the speed limit and learned why she was in such a hurry to go where she was going. Instead of giving her a traffic ticket, the officer went out of his way to show kindness and generosity to the woman. Read on to find out what went down!
A muscle that we all can afford to work out every day
American author Sharon Salzberg once wrote in her book, Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection, that “Kindness isn't a fixed trait that we either have or lack, but more like a muscle that can either be developed and strengthened.” Showing kindness need not cost any money. In fact, it is as simple as saying our ‘please’ and our ‘thank you’s, flashing a smile to people we see while walking by them, or even giving a compliment. Doing these things are all free of charge yet the benefits are priceless.
Health benefits of being kind
These benefits can be physical, too! A recent article published by the BBC says that being kind can be beneficial to our health. According to the report, doing volunteer work “correlates with a 24% lower risk of early death – about the same as eating six or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day.” The health benefits are not limited to just volunteering, of course, but just doing any simple act of kindness, you can reduce inflammation in the body. “Lower activity of leukocyte genes are related to inflammation,” were found in participants of one study in California which had them conducting simple acts of kindness, an example being paying for a stranger’s coffee.
As per the BBC, spending money on other people instead for your own pleasure is good for your well-being in general. Some of the health benefits include better hearing, improved sleep and even lower blood pressure.
We love reading viral stories on the Internet about people doing kind deeds because it makes us feel all nice inside. These stories are usually bombarded with comments along the lines of “Faith in humanity restored!” and a flurry of heart emojis. They make us feel like the world is not all bad, when it--more often than not--can seem like it is.
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K9 Handler Deputy Dale Quesnel
It was going to be a typical(ish) day of work for Washington County’s K9 Handler Deputy Dale Quesnel back in October. It was Halloween - Deputy Quesnel and his K9 partner were on the job doing traffic duty, K9 searches, and patrolling the streets across the county, making sure nobody gets into too much mischief for the holiday. Then, something happened. But it was not a case of Halloween trickery gone overboard.
Deputy Quesnel was patrolling when he encountered a driver that was going beyond the speed limit. Naturally, he went to make a traffic stop with the driver, with plans to issue them a ticket for speeding. Little did anyone know what was about to happen when he pulled the driver over.
The driver in question was a woman named Jeannette Porter. Thankfully, cops have body cams. The whole exchange between Jeannette and Deputy Quesnel was recorded.
“Where are you heading to?” Deputy Quesnel is heard asking in the body cam footage. “To get diapers,” Jeannette told him.
She was speeding, but for good reason
In an interview with WTEN-TV, Deputy Quesnel shares that he learned that Jeannette was in such a rush because she was not headed to a regular grocery store to get the diapers, but she was on her way to the food pantry where they were giving them out for free, hoping to be able to get some before they were all gone. And she was not even getting them for her own children.
“She told me she was getting diapers for her twin nieces,” added Deputy Quesnel.
In the body cam footage, their conversation continued.
Deputy Quesnel: “Well, how many [diapers] do you gotta have?”
Jeannette: “Just a couple.”
Deputy Quesnel: “Why don’t you stop by the dollar store, I want me to help you buy some diapers.”
Jeannette: “Okay.”
“Well, I was speeding. I deserved the ticket. You know, it is what it is. I totally understand,” Jeannette later told WTEN-TV over the phone. But she was caught off guard by what Deputy Quesnel did after he learned where she was going.
“I just got to thinking she did not seem like she could afford a traffic ticket,” the cop explained. “So I did not think she could afford diapers either,” he added.
“Not many cops would go above and beyond to show such compassion,” Jeannette said. “Deputy Dale showed me so much compassion. Not only did he not give me a speeding ticket — which I definitely deserved — but he spent his own money to buy diapers and wipes for my nieces,” she added.
Deputy Quesnel is not a hard cop, he is a ‘soft’ cop
Deputy Quesnel told WTEN-TV that this was not the first time he has helped others out. When asked the reason he does helpful things for people, Deputy Quesnel said with chuckling, “Because I’m a soft cop, I don’t know. I like to help people out.”
“I’ll help her or anybody,” he continued. “I’m not rich. I live life just about [sic] everybody else but I like to help people,” reiterated the cop.
“He was being so nice and generous and compassionate,” Jeannette told the news station. "It shocked me. I just could not believe that a cop would go above and beyond.”
During a time when there have been some police officers who have made the headlines for all the wrong reasons, it is heartening to have stories like that of Deputy Quesnel and his act of kindness for a woman in need.
During this pandemic which has affected every single one of us, a wholesome story such as this is something we could use a little more of. Have you or someone you know ever encountered a police officer who showed kindness and generosity? We would love to hear all about it in the comments! Pass this story along by posting it on your social media accounts to let people know that a simple act of kindness can go a long way.