VIDEO: A Local Deputy’s Act Of Kindness Goes Viral

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Christmas is a time of giving and sharing.

Law enforcement say they try to give back every day and one deputy did just that.

The Waffle House seems like a good place to escape the cold, and grab a warm cup of coffee, or a hot meal.

That’s exactly what happened to a homeless, Mississippi State student, thanks to a deputy willing to open his heart and his wallet.

Oktibehha County Deputy John Rice was on the lookout for burglars this past Friday night while on patrol, when a gut feeling told him to check out what appeared to be an abandoned car.

“Just driving along and noticed a vehicle that’s been parked there for a long time, and I decided to turn around and check that vehicle, and when I did, there was a person inside.”

A homeless, international, MSU student was sleeping inside the car.

Rice and his fellow deputies decided to take the 20-year old, who suffers from a social disorder, to Waffle House.

They also rented the young man a hotel room for the night.

“I call it a blessing. We get the opportunity to help people that’s in need. We get a lot of bad press, but that’s not something we worry ourselves with, but we continue doing a job that we signed on for.”

“These are some good guys. They do care about people. Law enforcement is kind of tough, you know, you see the bad things, you very seldom see the good things like this, that they do every day, and there’s more things like this that go on, than the bad things,” says Oktibbeha County Sheriff, Steve Gladney.

Rice also reconnected the student with his parents, who had been looking for him for three years.

“As a father who has a son that’s missing also, it feels rewarding because I really wish that someone would return that favor and return my son.”

A picture of the man and deputies eating at Waffle House has been shared almost 5,000 times on Facebook.

Columbus Community Outreach Director Glenda Buckhalter says similar acts of kindness happen all of the time, including in the ‘Friendly City’, but most first responders don’t want the recognition.

“They feel like it’s a part of their job to protect and to serve, and protecting and serving doesn’t always mean locking up individuals. It really does mean protecting them from the environment from other things that can hurt them.”

The same law enforcement officers that brought the student here to this restaurant, also bought him gas for his car and a new battery.