A Michigan police officer is getting praise from across the country for helping a driver he pulled over earlier this week.
Westland Officer Joshua Scaglione pulled over LaVonte Dell because the tinting on his car windows was too dark.
After Dell gave Scaglione his license and registration and the officer walked back to his cruiser, he noticed Dell's three-year-old daughter Lauren wasn't in a car seat.
When asked why his daughter wasn’t in a car seat Dell told the officer she outgrew the old one and it was ‘done for.’
Dell's daughter Lauren
Scaglione said Dell then started to tear up and explained that he was going through tough times, and couldn't afford a car seat.
That’s when something very special happened.
Instead of writing Dell a ticket, the officer took him to a local Walmart, and bought him a new seat for his little girl out of his own pocket.
“I was still in shock,” Dell said. He thanked the officer and told him he never met an officer like him.
"I feel like he should get the recognition. Everyone should know what he did," Dell said.
Officer Joshua Scaglione
Officer Scaglione told Dell to let him know if he ever needed anything.
"I related to the fact that I've been in that situation before. I realized this was the perfect opportunity to help him,” the officer said.
The officer said his only intention was to help someone in need.
"I'm just doing my job,” Scaglione said. “What good would giving you a ticket do besides putting you further in the hole, making it harder on you to come up?"
The Westland Police Department commended Officer Scaglione actions on their Facebook page Wednesday:
“The Westland Police Department would like to express how proud we are of the officer responsible, Officer Joshua Scaglione,” the post said. “We would also like to thank the driver, LaVonte Dell, for coming forward and sharing this experience with us. In a world filled with negative stories, the fact that you shared yours has had an unbelievably positive impact on all of us.”
