A California police officer is being praised from people all around the world for what he did for a homeless woman.
According to KSWB, police were called to the Promenade Mall in Temecula, California, after a young woman was spotted behaving suspiciously near parked cars. When Temecula Deputy Bruce Pierson responded to the scene, he found a homeless woman in the parking lot and asked her what she was doing.
The woman explained to the officer that she was moving from car to car to find shade. She then showed Pierson her feet and told him that she had not worn a pair of shoes in more than two months.
“She raised her foot, and her feet were blacker than my boots and calloused, and she said, ‘I haven’t had shoes in two months,’” Pierson told KSWB.
After speaking to the young woman, Pierson learned that she went by “Frank” and that she is 18-years-old. According to KTLA, she has been homeless since she was 12-years-old and says she currently lives on the streets with her boyfriend and her two dogs.
Pierson decided to take Franki inside the mall to Payless ShoeSource, so that she could pick out a pair of shoes. The officer told her that he would buy her a brand new pair of shoes.
While in the store, a shopper saw Franki looking around and asked Pierson if he was buying her a pair of shoes. When he told her that he was, she asked if she could help out. Then, another shopper, a man named Joshua Rounds, offered to pitch in another $10.
After pitching in for the shoes, Rounds took photos of Pierson and shared the story on his Facebook page. In just 48 hours, the post was shared more than 100,000 times and had reached viewers all across the world, who praised Pierson for his kindness.
Pierson described the incident as emotional and said that he was brought to tears himself while speaking to Franki.
“It was the right thing to do,” Deputy Pierson said. “I would hope any human would do that.”
According o KTLA, Pierson’s wife also pitched in and bought Franki sweaters and a blanket, as well as food for her dogs. By the end of the shopping spree, Pierson, his wife, and the others who pitched in helped Franki walk away with two pairs of shoes, socks, a beanie, and a scarf as well.
Sources: KSWB, KTLA / Photo Credit: Joshua Rounds/Facebook
