How a police officer with a 'heart of gold' helped this teen avoid a homecoming disaster

A police officer added the finishing touches to a teen’s homecoming outfit. (Photo: Clarksville Police Department via Facebook)
A police officer added the finishing touches to a teen’s homecoming outfit. (Photo: Clarksville Police Department via Facebook)

A teen was able to attend his high school homecoming dance looking fresh, thanks to a police officer who helped style him for the evening.

On Tuesday, the Clarksville Police Department in Tennessee shared the story with its 18,000 Facebook followers: “Can you imagine, being a young man and it is your big night — Homecoming! You’ve carefully planned every detail except one. You got a great suit and all the trimmings so you look just right, then lo and behold, you forgot one minor detail — you don’t know how to tie a tie. Guess what, neither does your hardworking mom.”

According to a letter the department posted from Johanna Gonzalez, a single mother of four, on the night of her son’s school homecoming dance, the pair had rushed to the mall to buy a last-minute suit when they realized they had no clue how to tie a tie. After searching YouTube for tutorials and failing “miserably” at the task, they hopped into the car and rushed to a nearby Men’s Wearhouse for assistance.

Photo: Clarksville Police Department via Facebook
Photo: Clarksville Police Department via Facebook

On the way, they spotted Officer James Eure patrolling the neighborhood and flagged him down for help with the tie. “He was more than happy to,” wrote Gonzalez. “He even took his time to show him how to do it. I took a couple quick pictures because I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable lol, and not sure if he knows I even took these pictures. I just wanted to share this story with you to show how awesome this man is. This moment means the world to me. I didn’t catch his name because I was just so happy his night wasn’t going to be ruined. I work 2 full time jobs and unfortunately don’t get a chance to experience moments like these. Please tell him thank you for making this moment even more special.”

Photo: Clarksville Police Department via Facebook
Photo: Clarksville Police Department via Facebook

Gonzalez did not return Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment, however according to Jim Knoll, public information officer at the Clarksville Police Department, the unusual request didn’t faze Eure. “Police officers have to wear two hats, and helping people is one of them,” he tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “Jim is a cop’s cop with a heart of gold.”

He adds, “With so much negativity out there, it only takes a minute or two to make an impact.”

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