VIDEO: Officer Delivers Groceries to Grandma Caught Stealing Eggs
On Wednesday, Tarrant (Ala.) PD police delivered two truckloads of groceries to Helen Johnson, who on Saturday was caught stealing five eggs from the nearby Dollar General store to feed her hungry family. Instead of arresting Johnson, Tarrant Police Officer William Stacy bought her a carton of eggs and sent her home with the promise she'd never shoplift again, reports the Alabama Media Group.
That in itself, Johnson said, was a blessing. But those blessings now seem to have taken on a life of their own. Tarrant police said they've received calls from across the United States and world since hearing of the 47-year-old grandmother's Johnson's plight. People have offered food, money, and clothing for the adults and two children she shares her home with.
It's been so overwhelming, said Tarrant Police Chief Dennis Reno, he had to bring in a second police dispatcher to handle the volume of calls. Police officials today also set up a fund at People's First Federal Credit Union on Ford Avenue in Tarrant to benefit the Johnson family.
On Wednesday, Stacy and Officer Jay Jenkins took two loads of food to Johnson's apartment. She couldn't stop crying, and she couldn't stop hugging Stacy. "I just busted out and started hollering,'' Johnson said of all the food delivered to her home. "I was yelling so loud. I would have been a good cheerleader."
