Police Officer Treats Abandoned 8-Year-Old to Ride in Cruiser, Celebratory Birthday Meal

“To protect and to serve” is a popular police motto nationwide.

Well, when officer Darryl Robinson of the Green Bay Police Department was called to duty, he not only protected and served, but also made a young boy’s day.

After class was dismissed at a local elementary school in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Robinson was sent to the scene because a child had not been picked up. As it turns out, the youngster’s mother was incarcerated.

As the officer continued to learn more about the dire situation, he discovered that it was the little boy’s birthday: He had just turned 8 years old. Officer Robinson contacted the boy’s grandfather, who agreed to let the pair spend a little bit of quality time together.

Intent on salvaging the boy’s birthday, Robinson took the kid for a ride in his police cruiser before treating him to a celebratory meal at McDonald’s.

The story quickly went viral thanks to a Facebook post from the Green Bay Police Department about the incident. On the day it was published, the post racked up roughly 11,000 likes and 1,900 shares.

“Officer Robinson grew up in downtown Green Bay,” Green Bay Police Department Captain Todd LePine told CNN. “He had some experiences as a kid, so he may have known what this child was experiencing more than another officer would have.”

We need more Darryl Robinsons in the world. Have you had a similar experience with a police officer? We want to know about it! Tell us in the comments, and don’t forget to SHARE this wonderful story with your friends.