STERLING HEIGHTS (WXYZ) — When Sterling Heights Police Officer Devon Leonard responded to a hit-and-run incident in a neighborhood, she had no idea she'd be making quite the impression on a senior citizen.
"I just couldn't leave without helping. That's just not the type of person that I am," Leonard told 7 News Detroit.
A hit-and-run driver had already knocked over the elderly woman's mailbox and when Leonard made contact with her to make out a report, she noticed that the woman's driveway was still packed with heavy snow.
Watch video from Officer Devon Leonard's body camera of the encounter below:
During a conversation that was captured on Leonard's body camera, the woman can be heard talking about the snow on her driveway.
"I cannot clean the driveway because the snow is very heavy and I'm not supposed to go outside," the elderly resident said.
Leonard quickly responded by telling the woman that she'd do "a little bit" for her, but Leonard didn't stop there.
Despite the woman saying she didn't have a snow blower, Leonard saw a shovel and went to work, clearing the heavy snow from the woman's driveway so she could get in and out as well as walk to her mailbox.
"She was super thankful," Leonard said. "I felt good doing it."
But the humble officer didn't tell anyone about her act of kindness. It was only when the senior citizen, who was so thankful, wrote a letter to the police department about the special encounter last month that Leonard's colleagues found out about her shoveling the woman's driveway.
Capt. Mario Bastianelli said Leonard is one of their best officers and that her actions highlight the work that so many officers in Sterling Heights and across the country do every day that goes unrecognized.
"She didn't tell anyone about it. She just went and did it," Bastianelli said. "Her actions exemplify the commitment and integrity of our department, and we are grateful for her service."
