Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (HLN) — If you've ever watched "Cops" or even a show like "Alaska State Troopers," you know a police officer's day can be an exhausting parade of unenviable situations. So it's especially nice to see an officer playing the hero in this heartwarming little story.
Sgt. Jason Cullum of the Evansville Police Department in Indiana was going about his day in his cruiser when he spied an object in the middle of the road. The object turned out to be a teddy bear that had flown out the window of a car in front of him. He stopped, picked it up, and drove carefully down the shoulder, up to a group of people walking along the side of the road.
This has really turned into something way more than I thought it would have... Seeing her holding that bear — not just holding it, but hugging it like she's never going to let it go, I'm really glad that I stopped.
–Sgt. Jason Cullum
It was the Mayo family and, sure enough, they were looking for their daughter Nikki's lost bear. Cullum handed it over, they exchanged a few words of thanks, and that was it.
The Evansville Police Department posted the dashcam video on their Facebook page, and people absolutely loved it. It was a simple gesture, but it meant the world to some — and none more than Nikki Mayo. The third-grader has had Chocolate the teddy bear since she was 4, and when she and her family met with Cullum again to say "thank you," she was hugging the toy tightly in her arms.
"We know the importance a teddy bear plays in society. They save the world sometimes," Cullum told HLN affiliate WEHT. "On that day, the teddy bear needed saving."
"This has really turned into something way more than I thought it would have. I appreciate it, that people are giving it positive attention," Cullum told WEHT. "Seeing her holding that bear — not just holding it, but hugging it like she's never going to let it go, I'm really glad that I stopped."
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2013 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
