Officer Buys Christmas Dinner For Shoplifting Suspects, Family In Need

A local police officer in Somerset, Massachusetts reportedly paid for Christmas dinner for two women who were caught shoplifting at a Stop & Shop grocery store.

Officer Matt Lima responded to a report of shoplifting at the Stop & Shop located on Grand Army Highway on December 20, CBS Boston reports. Lima approached two suspects accused of not scanning all of their groceries at the self-checkout kiosks and placing the unpaid items in their shopping bags.

The women told the officer they were experiencing hard times and tried to take the groceries so they could "provide a Christmas dinner for the two young children" who were present during the incident. The two suspects were served an order not to trespass at the store and Lima told the employee he would not press criminal charges as all of the items missing were groceries, which were returned to the shelves.

Lima then reportedly purchased $250 in gift cards with his own money to provide the women with funds to buy Christmas dinner at a different Stop & Shop store.

“The two children with the women reminded me of my kids, so I had to help them out,” Lima told CBS Boston.

Lima's generosity was praised by Somerset Police Chief George McNeil, who said the interaction was "a true testament of Officer Lima's great character and decision making."

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