Photo of officer giving boy a pair of socks after he flees house fire barefoot goes viral
A house fire in Richmond, Va., forced a family out of their home on Tuesday evening. But it’s a sweet moment that resulted from the tragedy that’s gaining viral attention.
Officer De’Dongio Randall was one of many Richmond Police Department officers to respond to the fire that night. But he stood out in the crowd after grabbing a pair of spare socks for a young boy who was forced out of the home with bare feet.
In a photo capturing of the moment, Randall is seen putting the socks on the boy who is wrapped up in a blanket. The Richmond Police Department didn’t immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment. However, Randall told local Richmond, Va., news station WRIC that he’s learned to be ready for anything.
“In the academy, ya know, we always made sure to prepare our bag,” the officer explained. “I sweated a lot growing up as a kid so being a big guy in the academy all my classmates used to be like, ‘Man, Randall — you need double shirts, you need extra socks and stuff.'”
Fortunately, that’s the reason Randall was prepared with a spare pair of socks.
“I went in my bag, pulled out my handy-dandy Under Armour black socks and said, ‘There ya go, my friend,'” Randall continued. “I wear a 13, so I helped him roll them over.”
It turns out that some extra clothing isn’t all that Randall has up his sleeve. Before joining the police force, he worked with Child Protective Services, which influenced his decision to also keep stuffed animals in the trunk of his patrol car.
“It was just something that I did, ya know. Having toys and stuff,” Randall said. “I just love kids to smile.”
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