Watch Texas Police Officer Comfort Girl 'Having a Bad Day' in Store
What to know
• A convenience store video captured a touching moment as Laredo Police Officer Marco Rodriguez comforted a young girl "having a bad day" inside a convenience store.
• The footage shows Rodriguez kneeling beside the girl as he listened to her, offering a hug at the end.
• The department praised the officer’s compassion, and it said he later spoke with the girl’s mother to help resolve the situation.
A moment between a local police officer and a young child at a Laredo convenience store drew attention online this week after a video of the interaction circulated on social media.
The Laredo Police Department reposted the video Monday afternoon, sharing a post originally published the night before by Capri Stop and Go, a local business on Market Street.
The incident occurred Friday afternoon around 3:30 p.m., according to the video's timestamp, and shows Officer Marco Rodriguez speaking with the girl inside the store.
The video captures Rodriguez kneeling beside the child in a quiet corner of the shop, speaking to her and eventually offering a hug.
Police said Rodriguez later spoke with the child's mother and helped them get "on the same page again."
"These days a patient ear and a compassionate heart makes all the difference in someone's day," police said in a statement. "We cannot laud the actions of Officer Rodriguez enough and thank him for using his heart and compassion in order to comfort a child having a bad day."
Capri Stop and Go said they shared the clip after seeing the interaction firsthand.
"Police officers are not always given credit for their hard jobs," the post stated. "God bless that officer and all others that show kindness."
Police did not release additional details about the child, citing privacy.
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