FALL RIVER, Mass. (TheBlaze/AP) -- A Massachusetts trooper is getting kudos on social media for sharing a meal with a panhandler who was holding a sign asking for help.
State police posted the photo of Trooper Luke Bonin on its Facebook page Tuesday.
In this May 11, 2016 photograph made available by Jacob Morse, a Mass. State Trooper, Luke Bonin, right, dressed in plainclothes sits on the bumper of his cruiser, as he shares a meal with a woman who was panhandling in Fall River, Mass. The 35-year-old Bonin later told his colleagues he saw the woman asking for help, so he drove to a nearby restaurant, ordered two meals and returned to have lunch with her. State police say they're proud of Bonin for "doing the right thing." (Jacob Morse via AP)
Police say a passer-by snapped the photo after noticing Bonin dressed in a suit and perched on the tailgate of his cruiser, digging into a fast-food meal with the panhandler.
Swansea resident Jake Morse told The Herald News he took the photo May 11 and shared it on Facebook.
According to the Massachusetts State Police Facebook page, "Trooper Bonin had just left court when he drove by the woman, who appeared down on her luck. She was holding a sign and asking for help from anyone who would pay attention. Trooper Bonin continued to drive on – directly to a local establishment, where he ordered two meals."
"He returned to the woman, pulled up, and exited his cruiser. Thinking he was there to remove her from the side of the road, she immediately stated to him that she would leave, that she knew she shouldn’t be there with her sign. But Trooper Bonin told her, “I’m not here to kick you out.” He then extended the two meals and told her to pick one," the post reads.
The 35-year-old Bonin later told his colleagues he saw the woman asking for help, so he drove to a nearby restaurant, ordered two meals and returned to have lunch with her.
State police say they're proud of Bonin for "doing the right thing."
"Yes, Trooper Bonin, we know you do not want or expect publicity. We know you didn’t want to be noticed, but you were, and the job is proud of you. We commend you for your selfless act, and for 'doing the right thing' for someone less fortunate than most people," state police said in its Facebook post.
