An act of kindness by a New York police officer has become a hit on the internet, giving a welcome boost to the reputation of the city's police force.
On a chilly winter's night earlier this month, officer Lawrence Deprimo bought a pair of boots for a barefooted homeless man.
A photograph snapped by a passing tourist of Mr Deprimo kneeling down to help the man put the shoes on was later posted to the New York Police Department's Facebook page and has since been viewed 1.6 million times.
The photograph has attracted more than 16,000 comments and 275,000 "likes", the New York Times reported .
Mr Deprimo 25, said he had been shocked by the man's bare feet.
"It was freezing out and you could see the blisters," he told the paper.
"I had two pairs of socks and I was still cold."
He found out the man's shoe size and went to a nearby shop to buy the boots.
A tourist from Arizona took a picture of Mr Deprimo giving the shoes to the homeless man. Later she emailed it to the NYPD, which posted it on their Facebook page.
Source: New York Times
Please follow Law & Order on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
