A Shoplifter Gets Help Instead of Handcuffs

He could have taken her to jail, instead Officer William Stacy offered a helping hand to a shoplifting grandmother.

Stacy was called to a Dollar General in Tarrant Alabama after employees caught a woman trying to steal some eggs,

The woman told Officer Stacy that she was only stealing because she was trying to feed her children.

Dollar General decided not to press charges. The officer offered to buy the eggs for her if she promised not to shoplift. She agreed, he bought the eggs and she gave him a hug.

A fellow shopper caught the hug on video, posted that on Facebook, and it had nearly 300,000 views on Facebook Monday afternoon.

But the story does not end there. Turns out the first time shoplifter was Helen Johnson.  She lives in an apartment with her two daughters, a niece and two grandchildren, ages 1 and 3.  When Officer Stacy met them, the family had been without food for 2 days.

The kids' mother gets a welfare check that was lost in the mail. Johnson herself gets a disability check, which is set to come this week.

But she was desperate, the kids were hungry now.  Johnson went to Dollar General with $1.25  to buy a carton of eggs. When she realized she was 50 cents plus tax short, she stuffed five eggs in her pocket and tried to leave the store.

A store worker stopped Johnson and asked her if she had taken the eggs. She said she did, and they said they had already called the police.

By the time she got to the door, Tarrant police Officer William Stacy was there, and told her to stay put. The officer said he'd already talked to Dollar General officials and they were not  going to press charges. He bought the eggs for her and extracted that promise, She would never shoplift again.

Officer Stacy knew the family needed more than a carton of eggs, on Wednesday, Tarrant police delivered two truckloads of groceries to Johnson's house.  She said she hadn’t seen that much food since she was 12 year old.

There is more help on the way. Tarrant police said they've received calls from around the world.with offers of food, money and clothing.

Police officials also set up a fund at a local Credit Union to benefit the Johnson family.

The officer's act of kindness is providing hope to many.

"It's growing and growing and growing,'' Tarrant Police Chief Dennis Reno said. " A guy called me from New York and just broke down. He said for two months he's been angry with police, and he said this has totally changed his mind."

Johnson said her life is forever changed because of the actions of Stacy and the Tarrant Police Department. "My heart,'' she said, "is wide open right now."