Police Officer Comforts Lost Boy, Shines Positive Light On Law Enforcement

"Compassionate" is not a term commonly used to describe police officers across today's headlines, as many officers have become the focus of a heated debate concerning police brutality.

For Officer David Taylor of Louisiana, however, compassion is a defining trait.

During a routine patrol shift at the International Rice Festival in Crowley, Louisiana, Officer Taylor was approached by a woman who had found a young boy lost in the crowd.

Taylor picked the boy up and proceeded to comfort him for half an hour until his mother was found. The officer told ABC News,

He was extremely upset...I put him on my shoulders to see if he would be able to see his parents. He started to fall asleep, and I moved him down to my chest.

Crowley resident Carolyn Senegal told FOX29 News,

I think it's awesome because we hear so much negative things about our police officers today so I'm happy to say that I've seen something that's a positive image. That's an officer going above and beyond the call of duty.

Taylor is grateful for the positive recognition, but not a fan of all the attention he's received, as he contends he was just doing his job, according to ABC News.

Photo of Crowley Police officer carrying lost boy goes viral https://t.co/HdDcIjpxBM pic.twitter.com/8jtW8VqfA5 — KLFY NEWS 10 (@KLFY) October 20, 2015

He said,

If it shines a true light on what police officers do and can do, then [this attention] is a good thing.

Citations: Photo of Police Officer Comforting Lost Boy Goes Viral (ABC News), Photo of police officer carrying lost boy goes viral (FOX)