ST. JOHN – An unsung good deed was done by local officers Tuesday night after a child’s bicycle was damaged by a man in a mental health crisis.
According to the Park Forest Police Chief Christopher Mannino, the parents of the child did not wish to prosecute the man for his actions.
But the call didn’t end there.
“Sergeant Julius Moore and Officer Jennifer Keith, of their own volition, went to our bicycle impound where abandoned and recovered bicycles are kept and searched until they found a match for the damaged bike. They located tools, swapped out parts, and returned the bicycle to the child as if it had never been broken.” Chief Mannino said Wednesday in a social media post.“This occurred overnight, and the only reason the Deputy Chiefs and I are aware of it is because their supervisor, Commander John DeCeault, saw what they were doing, was impressed by their efforts, and ensured that his bosses knew about this act of service. This picture is captured from our in-house surveillance video.”
Chief Mannino commended the officers for their actions and added “We are human. But so often, we more than get it right. In this case, two officers took the time to make sure a kid with a busted-up bicycle got it back as if nothing had happened.”
