Officer Kirsten Koryciak went above and beyond to help a Walmart shopper down on his luck. (Houston Police Department)
One Houston police officer went above the call of duty when she bought groceries for a Walmart shopper whose purchases were stolen as he suffered a diabetic episode.
On June 11, Officer Kirsten Koryciak was off duty but working an extra shift patrolling a local Walmart when she spotted a “groggy looking” man with a bandaged arm and an ambulance leaving the superstore’s property. The 25-year-old officer learned that the unnamed customer suffered a diabetic episode while attempting to leave the Walmart and his groceries were stolen in the process, the Houston Police Department confirmed in a press conference shared to Facebook.
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After confirming that he did not need any more medical attention, Koryciak soon realized the man was on a fixed budget and didn’t have any additional funds for groceries, inspiring her to lend a helping hand.
“I offered to buy his groceries to get him some food, because he was diabetic and I knew he needed to eat,” she confirmed in the now-viral Facebook video, which has since been viewed over 22,000 times. With about $25 of her own money, Koryciak purchased vegetables, lettuce and oatmeal for the shopper.
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“I understand how bad diabetes can be,” Koryciak said during the press conference, revealing that both her father and great-grandmother suffered from the disease. She also shared that she has personally weathered tough times in the past, and “just wanted to pay it forward.”
“I didn’t want to see that young man suffering. He wasn’t having a great day. He wasn’t feeling good. That’s part of my job to care about people and to help people,” she said. “If you see somebody being mistreated or taken advantage of, say something. You have to treat people like they were your own family… how you want to be treated.”
Meanwhile, Koryciak’s kind deed has won her much applause on social media.
“Your kindness has not gone unnoticed. Thank you for being a wonderful example to your community and fellow officers,” one Facebook fan wrote.
“People need to remember police are regular people with a gift of service and I’d hope more people would step up to help someone in need,” another agreed.
“Grateful to see this,” another simply said.