This Police Officer Wasn’t Prepared for What He’d Find on the Backseat of this Woman’s Car

Most of us have a love-hate relationship with cops. We appreciate that they’re there to do a job and want to keep our environment safe and free of crime, but they can be a bit annoying when they give out speeding or parking tickets. When we need the police, we’re glad they’re readily available to help us, and we’re thankful for the amazing job they do. On the other hand, our stomach fills with dread when they stop us in the street spontaneously or when we get pulled over while driving in our cars. Even if we haven’t done anything wrong, we can’t help but wonder if we have stepped out of line somewhere along the way. In general, we consider ourselves lucky if we don’t have many encounters with the police throughout our lives. That certifies that we haven’t done anything wrong and nothing bad has happened where we need their help. However, Andrella Jackson’s meeting with police officer Kevin Zimmerman completely changed her life! 

Career Ambition

Kevin Zimmerman joined the police force with the full intention to do a good job and look after his state. He wanted to do a the best job possible and he was invested in caring for the people of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Although extra praise from his colleagues and bosses would have been nice, Kevin went to work every day and strived to be the best cop he could possibly be. He put on his uniform each day and served his community. But Kevin was about to show how kind and good-willed police officers can really be.

Kevin’s Motto

There’s no denying that a police officer’s work is tough. Their work can be difficult, tiring, and especially dangerous. It’s a challenging role for sure, but Kevin had full faith in his police badge and truly believed that he could make a difference to his community through his dedication and good work.

Even on the good days and bad, Kevin was on a mission to do good. He had a goal, and that was to make Milwaukee, Wisconsin a better and safer community for both the residents and the police force.

Just Another Working Day

It was just another working day for Kevin, but little did he know when he put on his uniform and went to work that day that his life would change forever. It’s always these ordinary, typical days when you least expect something to happen that turn out to be quite eventful.

It was a Saturday morning in October, and he had gone out onto the streets of Wisconsin to patrol the traffic. When monitoring the roads’ traffic, you can never be completely sure what will happen, but he certainly didn’t expect what was to come.

The Curious Case Began While He Was on Traffic Patrol

That day, Kevin’s job was to patrol the highways and stop any vehicles that set off the alarm. The alarm system would flag any vehicles with unregistered license plates, and the system would scan the license plates of the passing drivers.

Usually, the system tracks down drivers who are speeding or driving under the influence and those with unregistered registration plates. He didn’t think anything out of the ordinary would happen that day, and he didn’t expect to have such an impact on somebody’s life.

The Car that Caught His Eye

When patrolling traffic, it’s really important for the cops to scan the drivers’ registration plates passing by. It helps to identify stolen vehicles and vehicles which have been involved in a crime. All in all, it helps to keep the neighborhood safe.

What most people don’t realize is that your registration plates on your own car have probably been scanned hundreds, if not thousands of times, without you knowing. It’s a daily duty for cops to tend to. Kevin was running plates that day when the alarm started to sound. He pulled over the car in question, ready to check out the situation.

Responding to the Alarm

When the alarm goes off, it is the police officer’s duty to respond and investigate what is going on. It was Kevin’s responsibility that day to stop the car that raised the flag. At this point, the police officer doesn’t know what set off the alarm. It could be due to a number of issues.

Kevin responded to the alarm as any police officer must do when that happens. On this particular day, it could have been any car, and any police officer could have been there to respond but today was Kevin’s day. Nothing was out of the ordinary at this point.

A Suspicious Registration

This case turned out to be an issue with invalid registration plates. Usually, when the system shows that the license plates are unregistered, it means that something more serious is going on. It could mean the car has been stolen or involved in a crime.

Kevin pulled the car over to talk to the driver. Driving with invalid license plates is a serious offense. If the driver is caught, they are given a ticket and have to pay a big fine. Kevin prepared himself and proceeded to consult the driver.

Just Doing His Job

This isn’t an easy job. It can also be dangerous for the police officers on duty because they never know who they are going to deal with, and the invalid license plates can be the first signs of a more serious offense.

Kevin knew that this situation could end up difficult and uncomfortable. Pulling drivers over and handing them hefty fines for unregistered plates can get ugly and out of hand.  With this in mind, Kevin headed over to the car, unaware of what he’d find inside.

Even the Police have to be Cautious

In the eyes of the law, the police are generally at the top of the hierarchy. We’re meant to respect and obey them if they give out orders. That said, they are not invincible, and even police officers can find themselves in dangerous situations while just going about their daily work.

All Kevin knew was that the car had invalid registration plates, and he was about to find out why. Did the driver have a gun? Were they traveling with suitcases full of drugs? Was he going to get a load of abuse from the driver? He stayed calm and approached the car with caution.

Kevin Went to Check Out the Car

It’s not always nice to stereotype certain crimes and associate them with certain types of people. Usually, invalid registration plates normally mean that the driver is hiding a dark secret and living a life of crime. It’s not a good sign if the car has unregistered plates.

Kevin knew that this situation could either go smoothly, and the driver would confess to their crime and accept their fine apologetically. On the other hand, he might have to chase the driver, arrest them, or even end up entwined in a car chase. How was this going to pan out?

Shocked by the Driver’s Identity

The moment came for Kevin to ask the driver to roll down their window. It has to be done, but this is usually the part when the police officer begins to learn how serious the problem is. The police officer must approach the situation with caution and always have his guard up.

In the majority of these situations, the driver of the car is acting suspicious and up to no good. But to Kevin’s surprise, this case wasn’t like that at all. Sitting in the driver’s seat was a middle-aged woman. She was the last person he would expect he’d have to stop.

Not Your Typical Criminal

She wasn’t drunk, nor was she acting suspiciously. She wasn’t rude to him or acting in a violent way. What was going on? Kevin asked her for her name and contact details. The woman told him her name was Andrella Jackson, and she lived in District 5 of Milwaukee.

Dealing with Andrella seemed to be going pretty easy. Perhaps too easy, Kevin thought. Andrella was also quick to explain why her car had invalid registration plates, but Kevin didn’t believe her to start with. After some time, he realized her explanation was the truth.

An Unusual Reason for an Invalid Registration

It was Kevin’s job as a cop to respond to the alarm system by flagging down the suspicious car and investigating the situation. He was only doing his job and did what any other cop would have done. And part of his job was to question the driver over their unregistered plates.

Kevin was familiar by now with the typical excuses that people responded with when he asked this question. He was prepared to stand and listen to the same from Andrella, too but that didn’t happen. Andrella’s reason saddened him, and he realized that it made perfect sense.

Why Andrella’s Registration was Invalid

Kevin calmly explained the rules to Andrella and informed her of the consequences of driving a car with unregistered license plates. Andrella explained to Kevin that she had only just purchased the vehicle from an auction and hadn’t yet had time to register it yet.

Kevin sensed that Andrella was having financial troubles, and this was most likely to be the reason why her license plates were invalid. Usually, people looking to buy a second-hand car go to a dealer. The fact that Andrella bartered at an auction to get the cheapest deal possible told him that she was in financial need.

Kevin Was Just Writing Out a Ticket When this Happened

Andrella’s situation made Kevin feel uncomfortable. He really sympathized with her and wanted to help, but at the same time, he was a cop, and he had a job to do. Whatever way he looked at it, her car had invalid registration plates, and that meant he had to give her a fine.

As if things were not already bad enough for this poor woman, Andrella was about to encounter more financial trouble by having to pay a fine. Kevin was just about to hand her the ticket when a noise coming from the back seats of Andrella’s car startled him.

Startled by the Noise Coming from the Car

When a police officer stops a car and finds out that the car has invalid number plates, it is their job to write out a ticket to present to the driver. Kevin was just about to do this when he heard a noise coming from the backseats of Andrella’s car.

He stopped what he was doing and decided to check the backseats of the car. He was shocked at what he saw. This certainly wasn’t what he expected, and it wasn’t the typical scenario of somebody driving a car with invalid plates. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

Andrella’s Precious Passengers

Kevin discovered that Andrella wasn’t traveling alone. Sitting on the backseats of her newly auctioned car were her five children. To Kevin’s horror, he realized that none of them were sitting in car seats, which were compulsory for children of their age.

Not only was this illegal, but it also made Kevin feel quite uneasy. Some of Andrella’s children were below 8 years old and under 4 foot 9 inches tall, which meant that they needed to be securely fastened in a child safety seat – it was a legal requirement.

How Could this Mother Put Her Children in Danger?

Kevin had originally stopped Andrella’s car because of her invalid plates, but now there was an even bigger problem. Kevin recalled that none of the children were in child safety seats, and none of them were wearing seat belts because they were all jumping about on the backseats, waving at him.

Andrella seemed like a decent woman and a loving mother, but did she know that her children’s safety was at risk? Kevin wasn’t sure whether Andrella understood the seriousness of this and the legal consequences of doing so.

Andrella Had Broken the Law but what Should Kevin Do?

If Kevin did his job properly and followed protocol, it would mean that Andrella was in serious trouble and would be handed some very hefty fines. Most officers would have just handed Andrella the tickets, which they would be right to do; however, that’s not what Kevin did.

Kevin was patient with Andrella and knew that there must be more to the story than what met the eye. He asked Andrella for an explanation for why all five of her young children were traveling without car seats. This was more important right now than simply handing her a fine.

The Law versus Humanity

Kevin didn’t like that Andrella has put her children’s safety at risk. If it’s one thing that gets to this police officer most, it’s children’s safety being put at risk. He couldn’t understand why this single mother would endanger her young daughters’ lives in this way, but he also really wanted to make sure that the children were safe.

Unfortunately, road accidents are more common than we care to think about. It’s important for all passengers and drivers to wear seatbelts and for children to be secured in suitable child seats. Kevin chose to put aside the law for a moment to find out the real reason why these children were traveling unsafely.

Kevin’s Compassion

Kevin could relate to Andrella, and he found that he had more in common with her than you’d imagine. You see, Kevin was a parent too, just like Andrella. Child safety was really important to him. Not just the safety of his own children – but all children.

He didn’t think Andrella had neglected her children on purpose, and he could see that she was a caring and loving parent. So before sanctioning her and potentially making her life more difficult than it already was for the single mom, he wanted a chance to talk and explain things to her.

Kevin Wasn’t Prepared for the Reason Why…

Kevin, along with many other police officers, was well acquainted with being given all sorts of excuses when they stop drivers who are violating rules. It’s not every day that a police officer stops a driver who seems sincere and honest with their reasons.

The safety of Andrella’s children worried him so much that by now, he had completely forgotten why he’d stopped her car in the first place. The unregistered number plates were no longer on his mind. Kevin was more concerned about the lack of car seats and constraints for her children.

The Heartbreaking Truth

It started off just like any other normal day in the police force for Kevin. He woke up, put on his uniform, waved goodbye to his wife and children, and went to work. Working as a cop, some days are easier than others.

Some days he’s handling serious problems all day but not today. Today was different. When we met Andrella that day and found out more about her, he was heartbroken by her challenging situation. The real reason why her children didn’t have appropriate car seats really saddened him.

Tough Times for Andrella

The reason Andrella didn’t have car seats for her children was probably a similar reason why she was driving a car with invalid registration plates. Money. This poor single mother was struggling financially and she just couldn’t afford proper car seats for her children.

She went on to explain that almost all of her money goes towards her winter living costs. Winter in Milwaukee is freezing, which is why all of Andrella’s money had to go towards heating costs and buying warm clothing for her children. There was no doubt that Andrella has broken the law but Kevin knew that hitting her with a fine wouldn’t be much help right now.

Kevin Made a Deal with Andrella

Kevin could see that Andrella wasn’t your regular criminal. Yes, she had broken the law, but her situation was different. She hadn’t gone out of her way to violate the rules, and things were difficult enough for her as it was. Kevin’s main priority was to ensure the safety of her children.

In the end, Kevin decided not to write her a ticket. He explained the consequences of her actions and gave her a warning. But before sending her on her way, Kevin wanted just one more thing from Andrella – the heights of all her children.

Not the Punishment She Was Expecting

Andrella was a little stunned and confused by what had just happened. She didn’t like being stopped by the police, but she’d begrudgingly accepted that Kevin was going to hand her a fine that she knew she’d struggle to pay. She didn’t like it, but she’d expected that to happen.

Yet, that didn’t happen. He gave her a warning and sent her on her way. No fine, no punishment, nothing. It struck Andrella as a little odd, but then he asked for her children’s’ heights and weights. Andrella didn’t need this reminder. She knew she needed car seats for her children, but she just couldn’t afford them.

Hatching a Plan

Andrella may have been the driver who got away with the lightest punishment that day out of those whom Kevin had stopped, but that didn’t mean that Kevin had forgotten about what had happened. He couldn’t stop thinking about Andrella and her children.

Andrella was just relieved that she wasn’t given a fine that day and didn’t think any more of it. Little did she know that the police officer who had stopped her that day was hatching a plan that would change everything! Kevin knew he had to help her, but then something happened.

Kevin’s Plan was Put on Hold

The compassionate police office was all ready to put his plan into action and make a difference in Andrella’s life but something happened and his plans were put on hold. Kevin had just finished his shift when he was called out on emergency duty.

Kevin went out to tend to the emergency duty, but that meant putting his plan to help Andrella on hold. He wanted to help the single mom, but work had to come first. Kevin had to go out and sort this emergency case now. His plan was put on hold, but for how long?

Kevin’s Other Important Mission of the Day

A police officer’s job is often varied. One minute they might be called out to a crime scene, the next, they’re overlooking a devastating tragedy. It’s safe to say that cops go through their fair share of emotional highs and lows during their average working day, and it’s their job to approach each case with a calm and stable attitude.

The emergency that day was a challenging one, and afterwards, Kevin was called back to the office for a debriefing and meeting to discuss what they’d just witnessed. His plan to help Andrella and her children was further put on hold. Maybe he would just forget about it?

A Lovely Gesture or a Terrible Insult?

Kevin didn’t forget about helping Andrella and as soon as he had the chance, he resumed his plan of action. He had all he needed. He had her children’s heights and weights written down, and off he went to complete the next part of his mission.

The idea of carrying out his plan made Kevin feel really happy, but then he had a thought. Would Andrella consider his charitable actions a lovely gesture or a hurtful insult? After all, he had already given her a free pass once by letting her off with a ticket. Would she be happy to see him again, or would she consider his help as pity?

Being a Policeman Has its Benefits

It didn’t matter to Kevin. He knew this was something he had to do. Since meeting Andrella and her children, he knew that he couldn’t just let them go off with her children still in danger. What if something happened? What about if the next time he was called to an emergency traffic accident, it was Andrella and her children in the car? It didn’t bear thinking about!

Kevin was all set, but then he realized he was missing some vital information – Andrella’s address! This was when he used the tools he had available to him as a police officer. He was able to trace Andrella’s details to a house in Milwaukee.

Kevin Couldn’t Wait to See Andrella!

It was time to see Andrella again so off Kevin went, still unsure of how she’d react to his gesture. Kevin was really excited to do what he was about to do, he only hoped that Andrella would be happy to see him as well.

Nothing was stopping him now. He has everything he needed. The most crucial pieces of information he needed for his mission were the weights and heights of her children, as well as her address. Kevin had all of that, and now, he was stood at Andrella’s door.

What Was the Policeman Doing at Andrella’s Door?

He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. The single mom he’d stopped not long before answered and seemed surprised to see him there. But Kevin had let Andrella off without the fine, so why was he here?

Kevin was full of excitement, but Andrella was unsure. She answered the door and was completely confused. Kevin was the last person she expected to see. While she stood there, pondering the possibilities of what this policeman wanted from her, she hadn’t noticed what he was holding.

Kevin’s Gift for Andrella and Her Children

Things had been tough for Andrella for as long as she could remember. She was surprised to have escaped a fine the other day when Kevin stopped her, but she didn’t ask any questions; she just left the scene and didn’t look back.

As soon as Andrella saw Kevin, she thought that she couldn’t have been that lucky. Surely he was here to issue her a ticker or even arrest her? To Andrella’s astonishment, Kevin had come to deliver presents to her and her children – two brand new car seats!

A Policemen Helping Out His Community

That’s why Kevin wanted to know the heights and weights of her children. Andrella let out a sigh of relief; it was all making sense now! As soon as Kevin had finished his shift, and after he was called out to the emergency event, he went to Walmart and bought the car seats.

Kevin was a policeman, but this wasn’t a police mission; this was Kevin’s choice. He bought the car seats with his own money and personally delivered them to Andrella at her house. And you may be wondering how did Andrella react? Well, she became very emotional but was entirely grateful to Kevin!

Safety is Everything to Kevin

When Kevin saw how his gesture had made Andrella emotional, he thought he had best explain to her the reason for what he’d done. There are many kind police officers about, but Andrella had never known any of them to present her or anyone else with gifts.

Andrew told her, “I got these for you and your kids so your kids can be safe, and you don’t have to worry about at least this part of the situation you’re in.” Kevin couldn’t let Andrella continue driving while her kids were unsafe. Car seats can help save the lives of children and reduce deaths by up to 71 percent!

That Wasn’t All…

But Kevin wasn’t done. Instead of just dropping off the two car seats for her children and leaving again, Kevin had an extra gift for them all. As well as taking at least one financial burden off of Andrella’s shoulders by relieving her of the expense of buying car seats, Kevin just wanted to make sure that they were all safe when out in the car.

So the kind-hearted policeman stayed with them and showed Andrella and her kids how to install the car seats correctly. The two youngest children, Niyah and Sky, were so excited by what was going on that they rushed outside to help unwrap the car seats. They really enjoyed spending time with Kevin, watching his demonstration. It turned out to be a lovely occasion for them all!

So Touching that it Went Viral

Kevin presented Andrella and her children with the car seats and showed them how to fit them properly to make sure they were installed safely. Andrella was so touched by what Andrew had done for her and her children.

Overcome with emotion, the appreciative mom of five decided to share the story on Facebook, and it ended up going viral. Nobody had ever done anything like this before for her, and she couldn’t believe a person could be so kind!

But Why Did Kevin Do All This?

It was a lovely gesture and all, but why did Kevin feel the need to do all this? He sure went to a lot of effort. Despite all of the positive attention he attracted for his good will, Kevin remained humble even though the story had gone viral, and he was branded a hero.

The policeman’s real reason proved that he was a cop who wanted to do his job properly and really make sure his society stayed safe. He said that “I wanted to do whatever I could to make sure that the kids were safe.”

A Good Example and an Important Lesson for All

Kevin has set a great example here, and it’s an important message we should all take note of. The nicest and most surprising part of all of this is that it was completely unexpected. Nobody expected Kevin to go above and beyond for a woman he’d only randomly stopped in the street.

Even his colleagues and bosses were impressed with him and full of praise. In a statement, they referenced Kevin’s kindness by saying “Thank you, Officer Zimmerman, for going the extra mile and going above and beyond your call of duty.” Fox 6 News even interviewed Kevin, who hopes that this encourages all parents to keep their children safe.