A woman from Hutchinson was grateful to a police officer who had once arrested her, later stopping to pray with her.
Mariposa Castaneda shared the photo on Facebook, where the officer held her hands with their heads bowed. “He was one of the officers that arrested me on September 15th of 2019,” she said.
A Heartwarming Gesture
“It was hot that day, and I was sitting in the police car when he pulled me out and asked me if I would rather be in the air conditioning with him,” Castaneda said. She added, “He also was kind enough to allow me to step outside the police car and made sure I had plenty of water to drink.”
She added, “He spoke to me with respect, kindness, and compassion, even though he still had a job to do, and I did get arrested that day.” The Hutchinson Police Department shared the post on its page.
A Turning Point in Life
Castaneda had an addiction and was down on herself for “how I screwed my life up.” She said the officer assured her that everyone makes mistakes and that what you do after the mistakes is what counts. Castaneda shared the post to show that “you can change your life and that people can change their perspective of you.”
Grace and Gratitude
She added, “Our community is full of people that we assume are out to get us, but in reality, (sic) they’re not.” She called the incident “an example of God’s grace and how it can change a person’s life completely.” Castaneda concluded, “I have the utmost respect for the sergeant.”