A simple photograph is all it takes.
We are in the mood to see and hear something good about police officers. Yes, they make mistakes. When they do, they usually get on the news. Then they get raked over the coals on Facebook and everywhere else people gather to complain.
Many of us are tired of hearing about it, though. We know that these underpaid, under-appreciated officers put up with a lot. They go places we don’t want to go. They deal with people we don’t want to get near.
Nicholas Martin is the man who took the photo you see above. Nicholas, 27, works for Groome Transportation in East Ridge, and was on the road around lunchtime December 8. (Nicholas was stopped at a red light, so he was not breaking any laws.) He first saw the lady and her dog. Then he saw the East Ridge police car pull up, lights flashing. Candidly, Nicholas admits he thought the officer might be stopping to harass the woman. Then he saw it. “I misjudged the officer,” he said. “When he emerged from his vehicle he had a bag of dog food, and food for (the woman) in his hand. Her smile was heartwarming.”
Nicholas was touched by the good deed, so he shared the photo on Facebook. His friends shared it with their friends, and within a few hours, several thousand people had seen it.
Some of my friends asked me to share it as well, but there was one thing missing: the rest of the story. Who is this officer? I had to find out.
Sgt. Scott Butcher
He is Sgt. Scott Butcher, who joined the East Ridge Police Department in 2002. I asked if I could tell the world his name, and exactly what he was doing when the photo was snapped. “Sure,” he said. “But please emphasize this is something my fellow officers do every day. I didn’t know anyone was taking a picture. But I didn’t do anything my fellow officers don’t do every day of the year.”
Here’s what happened, in Sgt. Butcher’s words: “I saw a woman on the side of the road with her dog. I asked her if she needed help, and she said no, she was just hoping to get a ride. She said she had friends in Georgia, and she was trying to get to their place. I asked her if she was hungry, and she said no, but her dog was. I told her if she’d stay there a few minutes, I’d go get some dog food. So I did, and I got a little something for her too, and dropped it off. I guess that’s when the guy took the picture. She had a great disposition, and when I left, she thanked me and said, ‘You have a Merry Christmas.'”
Sgt. Butcher said, “I’m not trying to get some recognition for me. I’m glad to shine the light on my department, though. I can’t tell you how many times our officers have paid for motel rooms for people to stay in overnight, or they’ve bought groceries, or diapers, or meals. We don’t talk about it, but we see things most people don’t see. I don’t even tell my wife, until sometime she’ll wonder where the money went,” he said with a laugh.
Nicholas Martin says he can’t believe the number of people who have seen his photograph, but he’s glad it has spread. He said, “We must acknowledge the good as much as the bad. Our country has fallen, but we are not broken. We will get through this rough time. We have good police officers. The man I saw today was an angel to someone in need. That was God’s work.”
Sgt. Butcher’s supervisor, Chief J.R. Reed said, “This doesn’t surprise me a bit. Scott’s a great officer, but this is not uncommon, and not just in our department. We try to help people out as much as we can. I’m glad the public is hearing something good about police officers. They’ve heard enough of the other stuff.”
The great basketball coach John Wooden was quoted as saying, ““The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” Sgt. Scott Butcher did his good deed in full public view, but he didn’t know it would be seen by thousands of people. To put it in news terms, he was caught in the act. He said, “Yes, that’s me in the picture, but it could have been any other officer. And that lady could have been any number of people who is close to being homeless. I hope people will remember our officers, and these folks on the street who just need some help to get through the day.”
Nicholas Martin told me, “I caught a cop being a hero.” Thank you Nicholas. You captured a moment in time, that deserves to be seen and shared.
To read my recent stories about heroic local police officers Eddie Mansell and Nathan Brooks, click here, and click here. Feel free to share!
Thanks David for sharing positive stories! And thanks to 2-legged critters who care – and the 2-legged critters who care about 4-legged critters!
I THINK IF EVERYONE WOULD PUT GOOD DEEDS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT POLICE OFFICERS INSTEAD OF JUST BAD,THIS WORLD COULD BE A BETTER PLACE DON’T YOU THINK?
It is nice to hear a positive thing about a police officer and even better to see something good in the news. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve already shared this photo once tonight but this one has David Carroll’s story added to it. This story is well written but it is the actions of Sgt. Butcher that make it so great. Thank you David Carroll for letting us know who this man is and thank you Nicholas Martin for the original picture and story. Sgt. Butcher talks of not taking credit upon himself but he hopes that this story will let the public know of the kind acts that his fellow officers do daily. These guys (and ladies) aren’t here to bust our chops, they are here to help us and keep us safe. I love this story, we all needed a reminder that these folks are our friends, not our enemy. Sgt. Butcher could have just as easily told this woman that hitchhiking was dangerous or illegal but he didn’t. Not only did he show compassion for human kind but he showed compassion for our four legged and fuzzy best friends as well. It really takes a lot for me to say publicly that I’m touched by something, but this is certainly one of those things.
It is so good that you did this story David. I know we have some wonderful police officers, but that is not what we hear about. We only hear about the bad. I wish this police officer a very Merry Christmas and wonderful blessings from God above to him. Thank you, David.
God bless you, Sgt. Scott Butcher and people who take that extra step to help someone in need, a fur-baby in need or someone and their fur-baby. Thank you, Dave Carroll, for this warm feeling your story and picture put in my heart.
Someone should send it to our president
Sgt. Butcher, your family should be proud! Every time you get out of your car, you have no idea what will happen. You take an oath to protect and to serve, to a certain degree, the same oath our military vows to. Neither is a “safe” cozy job! It has its inherite hazards! Nice to see a policeman judge a situation correctly and help! That was your courage, the dog could have been brutal and the lady could have been dangerous(yes it happens). You did not call “backup” and make a big deal of it! You kindly offered food for both, probably gave her advise on people who could help her. Above all, you made for a glimmer of hope during these turbulent times of no trust. You alone restored much that has been lost. God bless.
I just happened to come across this article & thought the timing was perfect. The margarity of police officer’s are breaking their backs to get the job done right. It’s rare that any of them makes a mistake but even if they do everything by the book, there is always someone trying to take them down. These guys bend over backwards to keep our streets safe & you can’t imagine the crap they put up with. They know that every single day could be their last for what?? A fraction of the salary they deserve? Give them a break & tell them thank you once in a while.
Thank you so much for sharing this. It is SO good to see something positive about the men and women who put their lives on the line every day. For all who are judging so harshly, take a moment to think what decision you would make if you thought your life might end in a few moments. And, on the other side of that thought, when’s the last time you helped someone “get through their day”. Love this – speaks to the true Christmas Spirit.
Thank you David, Nicholas and Sgt. Butcher and the many unsung heroes in this world.
I am afraid if we do not start supporting our Police, Military, CIA, etc., we will lose them to some other type of careers that will not help our country get out of the state we are now going through. Most of all we need to return our country back to the values we have given by GOD and put him back into all of our daily lives.
In God We Should Trust
This is what life is all about,I pray these officer’s get recognize through out our Country! Our Police officer do good things that we don’t even see! And a big thanks to David Carroll for his article, and maybe David you can take even further, again Thanks for your service Sgt Butcherand all the police, that puts their lives in danger for our safety.