As SWAT team officer Michael Wayne sat in his car wrapping up details from his day, he couldn’t imagine what the young woman could need when she approached his vehicle. As it turns out, she didn’t need anything. She simply wanted to tell him thank you.

Officer Wayne has been a member of the SWAT team in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for years, but he had never experienced anything like this before. The young woman walked up to his car, handed him two Walmart bags and nervously walked away without giving him her name.

Attached to one of the bags was a note that said thank you for choosing to be the man he is and went on to say that her son, 10-year-old Rashad, had ambitions of being a SWAT officer one day. Officer Wayne says after he read the note, he looked up and she was gone.

He searched for her in the parking lot, and luckily found her. He says he and Shameka Batiste, had a great conversation about the world today and she explained that she teaches her children not to see the color of someone’s skin, but to see them as a person. Officer Wayne said he would love to meet her son Rashad and she said he would bring him for a visit sometime.

Also inside the bag was a liter of Coke, 1.5 liters of water, two bananas, one apple, one orange, and a really big sandwich. Officer Wayne says his visit and gifts from Batiste prove that what leaders seem to believe about race and racial divide isn’t always true.

He says the young woman saw a man, son, and father that was doing a job that her son wants to do someday. Officer Wayne says that the love Batiste showed for him was amazing and special. The two exchanged hugs and Batiste told him to stay safe.

Officer Wayne followed up on his promise to Batiste as well, and met her son Rashad.

This is a wonderful story of kindness from a stranger, appreciation for our law enforcement, and the hopes of a young man’s future career. Share this story with family and friends so they can be inspired as well!