The biker thought he was getting a ticket. Instead, the deputy gave him a phone number

Remember the Officer Friendly program? For about 20 years into the mid-1980s, cops visited schools to talk.

Largely phased out nationwide, just a few Officer Friendly programs have endured through the millennium, including one by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, according to WFTS Tampa Bay.

This story isn’t about Officer Friendly, but it is about a friendly officer.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office posted video of a traffic stop that went in a direction the motorist probably didn’t expect.

According to the sheriff’s office, Master Deputy Donald Rizer was on duty Sunday patrolling for a motorcycle safety grant initiative when he pulled over a motorcyclist for illegal exhaust.

Body cam footage show Rizer engaging with the young man he pulled over.

“You OK?” Rizer asks.

He wasn’t.

In shaky voice, the cyclist says, “I had a horrible week.”

Rizer responds, “We’ll talk a bit. You’re not going to get a ticket. Take that out of your mind.”

Then the man tells the deputy, “I saw my friend die in front of me.”

“It’s not all about tickets or arresting people or stuff like that,” Rizer tells him as he urges the young man to remain focused while on the road. “If somebody needs help or needs to talk … it’s emotional.”

Rizer handed the motorcyclist a warning about the exhaust pipe, a safety checklist, and added, “that’s my personal cellphone number if you need to talk.”

“You’re the first person I can actually talk to,” the young man said.

The sheriff’s office praised its deputy on Facebook. “This traffic stop is just one example of the positive impact Deputy Rizer strives to make every day in our community. Not only is #teamHCSO lucky to have him, but we are confident when we say #HillsboroughCounty is lucky as well.”

The department also listed contact information for those in their Florida community to reach if in crisis: Text 741741 to connect to the Crisis Text Line to speak to a crisis counselor at any time at no charge. Or call 800-273-8255 if you are in crisis and need to talk to someone.

“The biggest tool in anybody’s belt, in my opinion, is your ears. The ability to listen, let someone speak,” Rizer told WFLA News Channel 8.