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COLUMBIA, S.C. — A seemingly simple image of a police officer coming to the aid of protester struggling in the heat has inspired millions.
The details that make the image so powerful: the protester is a white supremacist, and the police officer is an African-American.
The photo was captured over the weekend during a protest over South Carolina's decision to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse, according to Yahoo! News. The crowd of an estimated 2,000 people included clashing white supremacist groups and African-American advocates.
As temperatures in Columbia, South Carolina, reached close to 100 degrees, a handful of protesters began to fall ill.
Officer Leroy Smith rushed to help an unnamed protester wearing a black shirt bearing a swastika, Yahoo! News reported. The protester was a supporter of a Detroit-based neo-Nazi group, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Smith, who currently serves as director of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, has been in law enforcement for 25 years and is receiving accolades from across the world for his professionalism and service, according to CBS News.
"Not an uncommon example of humanity in S.C. Leroy Smith helps white supremacist to shelter and water as heat bears down," wrote Rob Godfrey, deputy chief of staff of communications and external affairs for South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. He was the first to share the photo on his Twitter account.
Related:
Confederate flag taken down in South Carolina after 54 years
South Carolina pulled the Confederate flag from its place of honor at the Statehouse on Friday, marking a milestone in how America commemorates the war that tore the United States apart 150 years ago.Haley pushed heavily for the Confederate flag to be removed following the racially motivated shooting at a Charleston, South Carolina, church last month.
The image has been retweeted thousands of times since its original posting. For his part, Smith has told multiple news outlets that he was simply "doing his duty."
"We want to thank the multiple law enforcement agencies involved today for an excellent response, and for assistance in keeping protesters and those on the grounds safe during the rallies," he said in a statement.
Five people were arrested at Saturday's protest, while 23 people required medical attention, mostly for heat-related ailments, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
not an uncommon example of humanity in SC: Leroy Smith helps white supremacist to shelter & water as heat bears down. pic.twitter.com/GoF23r3mRe — Rob Godfrey (@RobGodfrey) July 18, 2015
