This picture is a quick snap of one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. We pulled up to the McDonalds in…
Posted by Alex Fischbach on Saturday, 2 January 2016
When Alex Fischbach snapped a photo of a police officer buying lunch for a man at McDonald’s he never thought it would lead to something so significant.
Fischback found out later that the man was homeless and because his photo received so much attention on social media, he was able to find a place to live.
“It definitely started my New Year off right,” Fischbach said. While at the Morrison, Illinois restaurant with his fiancée on Jan. 2, he witnessed the exchange between the man and Sergeant George Depuy. He was so moved, he said, by this compassionate act that he had to take a picture.
“The feeling was very overwhelming….It was just a simple reminder that not all cops are bad,” Fischbach said.
Word spread quickly on Facebook and the post reached someone at the ‘Firehouse of God’ homeless shelter. The man was easily recognizable, by the jacket he was wearing in the photo. A local pastor brought him to the shelter in nearby Sterling.
The PIO with Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office told ABC News that Sgt. Depuy initially spotted the man outside in the cold and gave him a ride to McDonald’s so he could get warm.
“He was … 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.”
Sergeant Depuy declined to speak to the media, but WCSO spoke on his behalf saying he was “simply doing his job.”
