Officer Staunton waits in his patrol car before beginning his patrol through Brooklyn, New York in January 2019. (Kathy Willens / AP)
By Amanda Thomason October 9, 2021 at 9:00am
A boy named Bryan in Taunton, Massachusetts, was dealt a disappointing hand in August when his bike was stolen.
As an early birthday present, he was gifted a new bike, so he could be back on wheels. But someone stole that bike from his yard, too.
When his mom, Dawn King, reported the theft on Sept. 22, officers Michael Flynn and Michael Hughes with the Taunton Police Department showed up, according to WBZ-TV.
They got some information, but after meeting the Kings and hearing their story, an idea started to form between the two Michaels.
Upon leaving, they decided to split the cost of a replacement bike for Bryan. They purchased a similar style of bike as the one that had been stolen, as well as two bike locks, and returned to the home under the guise of needing to ask a few more questions.
The boy was very excited to get the bike, and the officers made sure to educate the family on how to avoid another theft.
A photo of the two officers and the boy, who’s beaming and standing with his new bike, has made the rounds on social media, and the simple tale of kindness has warmed people’s hearts.
“Kudos to Taunton Police Officers Michael Flynn and Michael Hughes!” the City of Tauntaun Facebook page shared on Sept. 25. “These two exemplary police officers purchased a bicycle for a 6-year-old Taunton boy whose bike was stolen (twice in the past few months).
“After responding to a call from the boy’s mother regarding the theft of her son’s bike, the two police officers pitched in and bought a new bike for the boy and locks to keep the bike safe.
“This is community policing at its finest. Thank you, Officers Flynn and Hughes, for having such a positive impact in our community!”
“This is a fantastic example of community policing and I want to commend officers Flynn and Hughes for their selflessness and caring,” Police Chief Edward Walsh said, according to WBZ-TV.
“This boy had his bike stolen twice in a short period of time and that can be devastating for a child. I’m glad our officers were able to put a smile on his face and brighten his day.”
The kindness kept going, and Dunkin’ Donuts reached out to Flynn and Hughes to thank them by gifting them with tickets to the New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game.
Both officers are big Patriots fans, so the surprise was greatly appreciated — though both of them were shocked at the amount of attention the whole story has gotten.
“He was just so happy, that’s why we did it,” Flynn told WPRI-TV.
“We were just out there doing something nice for a boy,” Hughes said.
“To think that we are actually going to the game where Tom Brady’s coming back to New England …”
“… it’s just, astounding,” Flynn finished.
Amanda holds an MA in Rhetoric and TESOL from Cal Poly Pomona. After teaching composition and logic for several years, she’s strayed into writing full-time and especially enjoys animal-related topics.
As of January 2019, Amanda has written over 1,000 stories for The Western Journal but doesn’t really know how. Graduating from California State Polytechnic University with a MA in Rhetoric/Composition and TESOL, she wrote her thesis about metacognitive development and the skill transfer between reading and writing in freshman students.
She has a slew of interests that keep her busy, including trying out new recipes, enjoying nature, discussing ridiculous topics, reading, drawing, people watching, developing curriculum, and writing bios. Sometimes she has red hair, sometimes she has brown hair, sometimes she’s had teal hair.
With a book on productive communication strategies in the works, Amanda is also writing and illustrating some children’s books with her husband, Edward.
Location
Austin, Texas
Languages Spoken
English und ein bißchen Deutsch
Topics of Expertise
Faith, Animals, Cooking