Policeman Pays For Single Father He Caught Shoplifting Baby Formula (Video)

To police officer Justin Roby, serving the community is about more than administering justice.

On January 17, Roby received a call reporting a shoplifter at a London, Kentucky Kroger supermarket.

He arrived to find the alleged criminal was a single father attempting to steal formula for his 6-month-old child. Living on the edge of poverty, the man reportedly used thievery as a last resort.

Instead of arresting the man, Roby purchased the formula for him while explaining local services designed to help those in poverty feed themselves and their children.

Happily, the Kroger's manager decided not to press charges.

Roby said cops are often viewed negatively, but the reality is slightly different.

He told WKYT,

Behind the uniform, I'm a human being and I'm a person out in this community just like any of them. I have a little boy. I'm a father just like that gentleman was.

The kind officer called upon his community to examine the "gray" areas of situations like these, in which one simple purchase can change the path of a life.

Citations: Instead Of Arresting Him, A Cop Helped Out A Single Dad Who Tried To Steal Baby Formula (BuzzFeed )