You know, when you see the flashing blue lights behind you, normally it’s not a good thing. But on this day, well, it was a different story.
It didn’t seem too good for Steven Hill of Memphis, when he saw Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies behind him.
“I thought we were in trouble,” he said. “Big trouble. I was like, man, what’s going on?”
Hill and his son were told to wait, more deputies would be on the way.
And they did show up, not with tickets, but with gifts carried by Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner.
“I heard you all were in need of a little holiday cheer,” Sheriff Bonner told Hill and his son. “Merry Christmas,” he said, as he handed out gifts. “Merry Christmas all. Thank you.”
Law enforcement is a rough job in many ways.
Normally, when they pull somebody over for something, it’s not a good day.
But for the last four years the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department has done this, instead of tickets, they bring Christmas gifts.
“A lot of times when we make stops,” says Sheriff Bonner, “… traffic stops, we write a ticket, or investigate further. But this time, we’re spreading holiday cheer.”
Let’s head back to Steven Hill with his son Cameron.
There they were, holding Christmas gifts from the Sheriff’s Department, Target stores, and the not-for-profit Order of the Boll Weevils Club.
You couldn’t miss those guys. They were wearing the green outfit and a boll weevil mask.
Steven Hill was almost in shock, because he was scared he was going to jail.
“Man, thank you man,” he told Sheriff Bonner.
Hill’s son Cameron said he was surprised. “Yes, very surprised. Very grateful, you know. Glad to see the sheriff and everybody giving back to the community and stuff like that. I really like that.”
That’s the point Sheriff Bonner says.
“To see the joy and the smile on these parents faces,” he says, “… because a lot of times they’re trying to figure out how this is going to happen.”
On this day, they didn’t have to worry.
