Stopped by police - you’d never guess what happened next

When Naomi Norelli had her car pulled over by police, it was the latest in a long line of challenges. The single mum from Denver had been laid low by back luck and illness, and simply didn't have enough money for car tax. The police wrote her a ticket, but that wasn't the end of the story.

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Naomi had just finished treatment for cancer. She moved to Denver for a new job, but the job fell through. Then, just as she found a new one, her car died. The new car needed new car tags (The US car tax system that costs around $400), but she couldn't afford it, so she was driving with expired tags.

The police pulled her over, and despite her explaining her situation - and that she had been forced to choose between tags and groceries - they wrote her a ticket. However, that wasn't all.

The next day, a police officer arrived at her workplace with groceries. Other officers followed, with more food, money to cover her ticket, a Starbucks card, and even a toy for her four-year-old.

Commander Eric Schmidt says the best part of this story is that the force only heard about it after Naomi's colleagues thanked them - the officers hadn't done it for recognition at work, but because they thought it was the right thing to do for a woman who was having a difficult time.

Happy endings

Being stopped by a traffic officer is a horribly nerve-wracking experience, but this isn't the first time that it has had a happy ending. Here are five traffic police stories to warm your heart.

1. In 2015, just before Christmas, Toledo police officers used $3,000 they made from fundraising. They stopped drivers who they knew needed a bit of extra help, and handed out $100 gift cards.

2. Last year, officers in Halifax, Virginia, stopped drivers, and informed them it was against the law to drive on a hot day without an ice-cream. They then handed out ice creams to drivers and their passengers.

3. Last December, an offer stopped a speeding student on his way to the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He explained he was late for a big presentation and needed to make a detour to a friend's house because he was struggling to do up his tie. The officer let him off with a warning - and tied his tie for him. He then met up with him after the presentation, and taught him how to do it himself.

4. In Fort Worth in Texas, last Christmas, traffic officers pulled over drivers who had committed minor infractions. Instead of giving them tickets, they gave them turkeys. The move was apparently designed to improve community relations with the police.

5. And in January, in a story similar to Naomi's, traffic police pulled over a young mum to warn her about her driving, and discovered she was struggling to feed her family and couldn't afford a car seat for her baby. They bought her groceries and donated a car seat, and went round the next day to deliver them.


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