When a police officer claims that they were just doing their job, chances are they’ve actually done a whole lot more.
That’s how Brighton, CO police officer Nick Struck described heartbreaking encounter that has since gained national attention.
After arriving at the scene of a horrific auto accident in which an couple and their four children were ejected from their vehicle, Officer Struck’s paternal instincts took over. The kid’s father was killed instantly in the accident and Struck’s first thought was what he would want someone to do for his young daughter in such a horrible situation. Even though she survived the accident physically unharmed, he knew his job of keeping the little girl safe was not over yet.
Struck went above and beyond the call of duty to comfort the couple’s 2-year-old girl who was scared and confused. According to a report from USA Today, Struck sang “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” to the little girl, a song he would sometimes sing to his own daughter to calm her down.
After a passerby snapped a photo of Officer Struck consoling the little girl, the image has since gone viral. The emotional photo captured a human moment during a time of unimaginable heartbreak.
We daily see “bad cop” stories in the news, so it’s always refreshing to know that there are so many more good officers out there like Officer Struck.