LMPD officer's act of kindness changes woman's perspective on police

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- An LMPD officer replaced a woman's bike shortly after it was stolen while she worked at Burger King.

The act of kindness is helping Sarah Domes see the police in a new light.

Domes is a familiar face at the Burger King drive-thru in Valley Station. Last week, someone stole her bicycle while she was on the clock.

"I didn't know what I was gonna do without a bike, because that's how I get to and from work," she said.

That's when LMPD Officer William Smallwood showed up to investigate a stolen truck nearby.

While checking Burger King's security video, Domes and Smallwood struck up a conversation.

"I used to be an addict and I used to do bad things. Now I'm not and I do good things," said Domes, who has been in recovery for five years. "He told me to wait right here and that he would be back in 20 minutes. That his wife had just got a brand new bike and he was going to go get it."

It was an emotional moment when Smallwood presented the bicycle.

"I was like, 'Oh my God', and I started crying, and he started crying, and everyone started crying," she said. "Officer William Smallwood came to the rescue with his wonderful act of kindness."

As someone who used to have bad feelings toward the police, she said the situation gave her a change of heart.

"They're not all bad. There are some bad ones, just like you get a bad apple in every bunch and you throw it away. But they're not all bad," Domes said. "Officer William Smallwood proved that."

The officer, who patrols the fourth division, has been on the force for about 2.5 years. Domes wants other officers — and other people — follow his lead.

"I hope that people see this, and the loving act of kindness continues to go on and on and on," she said.