Reported by ABC News on April 1, 2015
Two Michigan police officers are being hailed for making the decision to buy a car seat for a family in need instead of citing the child’s parents. Officers Jason Pavlige and James Hodges of Fruitport Township, Michigan, responded to a dispatch call reporting a woman at a local McDonalds holding a baby in her arms in a car’s passenger seat. The officers … pulled over the driver, also the father of the 10-month-old girl, on the violation…. When the officers spoke with the parents, who were not identified, they quickly realized they did not have the resources to purchase a car seat for their daughter…. Instead of issuing the parents a citation, Pavlige and Hodges decided to take action in another way…. While Pavlige stayed with the family, Hodges went to a local Walmart and purchased a new car seat with money from his and Pavlige’s own pockets. They then installed the car seat and gave the family instructions on how to properly use it…. Hodges and Pavlige’s good deed occurred in February but was publicized just last week after a Walmart employee called the police station to report what the officers had done….