Police play Santa Claus to down-on-their-luck family after accidental 911 call

Last Saturday, Florida police officers responded to a 911 call only to discover there was no emergency at all: A 2-year-old had been playing with the phone.

What they did find at the home, however, was a noticeable lack of holiday cheer in the sparsely furnished home.

“Initially, the girls kind of waved, but it wasn’t the normal reaction we get from kids,” Boynton Beach Police Officer Terrence Paramore, 27, said of the children who lived there. “They weren’t smiling. It seemed like they weren’t happy at all. They were missing something.”

“It was pretty obvious that the family was struggling,” he told ABC News.

The children’s mother confided in the officers: The family was struggling financially and couldn’t afford a Christmas tree or any gifts this year.

Paramore and his partner, Barry Ward, left the home with a plan. The next day, they went to a Home Depot and bought a tree, a stand, lights and some ornaments — with their own money.

“We started throwing things in the cart. You know us men, we don’t look for sales. We just throw it in the cart and buy it,” Paramore told TODAY.

They then returned to the apartment to deliver some holiday cheer. A body camera worn by Ward captured the 7-year-old girl’s thrilled reaction.

“She hugged the tree,” Paramore told ABC News. “I was taken aback and we were both humbled and just glad to see that this family was going to have something to sit around and use.”

The police department posted the video on YouTube, hoping to share some happy news — and inspire others.

“With everything going on in the world, people need to understand that police officers are good people. They’re like the rest of us. They’re fathers and sons and brothers and wives and sisters, and they have huge hearts,” said Stephanie Slater, Boynton Beach Police Department’s public information officer. “They do things like this every day. This is not uncommon for Boynton Beach police officers.”

Slater told TODAY that since the video was posted, community members stepped forward to help support the family. One man visited the police department to drop off a $100 Target gift card for the family. Other Good Samaritans have pledged to drop off toys.

“We’re covered,” said Slater, referring to the “tons” of donations and phone calls the department received in response to the story. “We’re asking people to do good in their communities on behalf of our officers.”