Photo of Police Sergeant's Kind Act Helps Homeless Man Find Shelter
— -- A picture of a police sergeant buying lunch for a homeless man has resulted in a happy ending.
Alex Fischbach of of Morrison, Illinois, told ABC News that after his photo received attention on Facebook, the man was able to find a place to live.
"It definitely started my New Year off right," Fischbach said. "[The shelter] actually recognized him from the coat he was wearing in the picture. With everyone sharing the original post, it helped this man be noticed and placed somewhere he could stay. I'm just very thankful I was there to witness this and be able to snap the photo so everyone else could know as well."
Fischbach said he was at the Morrison McDonald's with his fiance on the afternoon of Jan. 2 when he witnessed Sergeant George Depuy handing money to a man that he later found out was homeless.
The kind act prompted him to take a photo and share it on his Facebook page.
"The feeling was very overwhelming," Fischbach said. "It was incredible to see something so compassionate happen right in front of my eyes. It was just a simple reminder that not all cops are bad."
The public information officer of the Whiteside County Sheriff's Office in Morrison told ABC News that the unidentified homeless man was spotted by Sergeant Depuy, who offered to buy him lunch.
"The weather wasn’t the best," the officer said. "He was cold, [Sergeant Depuy] gave him a ride to McDonald's to get him warm. He was basically just doing his job and showing that police officers have hearts...it goes on often, but someone caught it which is nice. It's recognition for doing a good deed."
Fischbach said the homeless man from the photo was brought to the Firehouse of God homeless shelter in Sterling, Illinois, on Sunday by a local pastor.
Sergeant Depuy is declining interviews, citing that he was simply doing his job, according to the Whiteside County Sheriff's Office.
