5-year-old on school bus was threatened in the name of ‘cops’ — the officers arrived to prove the bullies wrong
A child might form beliefs based on what an adult said in front of them. A five-year-old girl was also scared because an adult threatened her with cops while she was being bullied on a bus. The girl's mom was worried when she witnessed her daughter's reaction to seeing cops from a distance after that. So the mom, Samantha Womble, put out a post on Facebook for help. However, she hadn't expected to receive such a supportive reaction from the police department for her daughter, as per a Facebook post by Love What Matters.
"My 5-year-old had her first bullying experience on the school bus. She was called stupid and ugly over and over," the mom shared. However, she was really surprised by how an adult reacted to the situation instead of handling it with care. "Instead of an adult handling the situation, he threatened her with the police." The little girl was "horrified and traumatized" because of the threat. "As we drove home, we passed an officer and she covered her head while crying, scared to death." The worried mom asked for help online. "That night, Officer Jonathan Luttrell and Officer Blake Burress with the Booneville, MS Police Department knocked on the door. They heard what had happened and brought her prizes."
The officers reassured the little girl that their job was to protect her and they were not out there to get her. They made her feel really comfortable after a conversation. "That night, she labeled those cops as her best friends." The gestures didn't end there. Two cops also met the girl at her school's gate. "The next morning, Deputy Taylor Walker and Tyler Reese from the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Dept came to the school. Deputy Walker met her at the vehicle with a smile." The deputy got on the little girl's level and talked to her. She walked away from the conversation with a stuffed puppy and a big smile on her face. "He held her hand and she was more than happy to have him walk her to class."
The incident made the mom reflect on how often law enforcement officers are "thrown under the bus" during many instances, while their actual job is to protect people. "So often law enforcement is thrown under the bus, given horrible names and used as a scare tactic in the wrong situations." She added, "In reality, these are the people willing to put their lives on the line to protect us and care more than we can imagine." The mom was thankful for what the officers did for her daughter. "These officers made a point to take time out and helped my sweet girl feel safe, cared for and protected after hearing they were used as a scare tactic against her." The mom went on, "The world needs this. They need to know law enforcement really cares and these men need to be recognized."
People appreciated the cops for their gesture in the comments section of the post. Joan Schoelkopf wrote, "Thank God for these brave men and women! Hope that beautiful child is never bullied again." Janet Alexander commented, "I grew up in Booneville and am so proud to be from that wonderful hometown. I hope the police talk to that adult who said that to her and set him straight." Lynn Stewart Berry remarked, "These men are wonderful. Every child needs to know that our officers are here for them."
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