Alabama officer's kind deed for shoplifter inspires generosity from strangers

When Tarrant, Alabama, police officer William Stacy responded to a call about a shoplifter at a local Dollar General store, he recognized the shoplifter: he had responded to a previous call at her house and had seen the rough conditions she and her children were living in.

“It was just a small glimpse into her life,” Stacy, 23, told WIAT. “It was enough to make an impression on me.”

This time, 47-year-old Helen Johnson was caught stealing a dozen eggs from the dollar store.

"When I arrived on the scene I confronted her. She said her sorry and was honest about what she did,” Stacy told ABC News.

When the store opted to not press charges, Stacy decided to pay for the eggs.

"You can’t let kids go hungry. I ran inside, bought the eggs for her and walked out and handed her the eggs," Stacy told WBRC.

"She tried to give me all the money she had," Stacy told WIAT. “It was about $1.25. I told her the best way to pay me back was to never do something like that again.”

"I can’t tell you how many times she said thank you," Stacy said of Johnson’s reaction to his generosity. “She even started crying and asked me for a hug.”

"I was like, ‘Oh my God, thank you Jesus for this man,’" Johnson told AL.com. “He is my hero.”

Customer Robert Tripp caught Stacy’s kind deed on camera. The video went viral on Facebook.

"He approached it like I’m going to talk to her to see what is going on, assess the situation, see what is going on first besides attacking her. I thought it was pretty cool," Tripp said.

"I can’t believe that such a small simple gesture got this big," he said. “If it was the same circumstance, I wouldn’t turn away somebody who was trying to help their kids in a time of need.”

When the story made headlines, the police department received countless calls from around the country: people wanted to help Johnson and her children.

And they did.

Piles of food are now accumulating in Johnson’s small apartment.

"The last time I saw my house this full, I was 12 years old and staying with my grandmother," Johnson told AL.com on Wednesday. “I’ve been crying all day.”

Police also established a fund at People’s First Federal Credit Union in Tarrant to benefit the Johnson family. Gifts of clothing and toys are also pouring in.

Johnson lives with her two daughters, a niece and two grandchildren. They survive on very little. Her grandchildren’s mother receives a monthly $120 welfare cheque — which was lost in the mail. Johnson receives a monthly disability cheque, set to arrive this week.

Johnson told AL.com that she decided to shoplift when she was shopping for eggs and discovered she was 50 cents short.

Johnson said that Stacy’s kindness to her changed her life.

"The story she told me Saturday matched up with what I had seen when I was there,"’ Stacy said. “I felt like it was the right thing to do. I didn’t want to pass judgment on her.”

For the first time in a long time, Johnson and her family have full kitchen cupboards — and a lot to be grateful for.