A traffic stop on a Mississippi highway this week turned into a prime example of paying it forward.
Trooper Jason Ales pulled over Mike Powers of Pennsylvania for speeding in the Batesville area while he was on his way to a work appointment, according to The Clarion-Ledger.
"When I went back up there to take (the speeding ticket) to him, he asked how are things going with us down here in Mississippi with all the shootings going on with officers all over, and I said, 'They’re going, we’re maintaining, it’s rough and it's kind of scary,' " Ales told the newspaper. "He said, 'I'm keeping y'all in my prayers, we're pulling for y'all.' Then he asked, 'Can I give you something?' "
Powers handed Ales a bracelet covered in Christian symbols.
Ales said he decided to void the ticket. It struck him that he had pulled Powers over, but he still showed him respect.
"I actually thought about that the whole day, this guy… I told my brother and my wife about it. I pulled over in a church parking lot, trying to find a spot to put this bracelet in my patrol car, and I picked a place up high, and it reminds me I'm protected," Ales said. "I know that the bracelet is not my protector -- I know where my protection comes from -- but that bracelet gives me some reminder every day."
Powers donated the money he would have spent on the ticket to the Palmer Home for Children. They sent him a photo of several children holding a sign that says, "Thank you!"
Ales and Powers have kept in touch, and their story has gained the pair a lot of attention on Facebook after Powers posted details about the traffic stop.
"I’ve made a lifelong friend out of it," Powers said. "We spoke last night about starting a charity and selling bracelets and using the money to give to the families of fallen officers."
