Officer pays grandmother’s grocery bill after her money is stolen

KNOXVILLE (WATE) – A Knoxville police officer paid for a Knoxville grandmother’s grocery bill after she says her granddaughter stole her money.

The Knoxville Police Department says they were called to the Walmart on Chapman Highway Thursday morning. Mildred Douglas said her granddaughter took her to the First Tennessee bank. Douglas withdrew $130 for medicine and groceries.

Her granddaughter then took her to Walmart, dropped her off and drove away. Douglas says when she went to pay for her items, money was missing from her purse.

“I’ve been upset all day. I can’t eat or nothing,” said Douglas.

One of the officers who responded to the scene saw how upset Douglas was and paid for her groceries and medicine with his personal debit card. The officers then drove Douglas back to her home.

Douglas said that money was nearly all she had left in her bank account since she’s on a fixed income with social security and a KUB pension. She’s thankful for what the officer did for her.

The officers involved did not want to be identified.

“The officers, they don’t want any recognition for it. They didn’t do it for that. They did it because it was the right thing to do,” said Darrell DeBusk, Knoxville Police Department spokesman.

Douglas didn’t expect the officer to help out and it ended up turning her day around.

“I didn’t ask him to. I just told him the hard time I was having and he done it for me,” said Douglas.

Officers say they are currently looking for Douglas’ granddaughter. Douglas says she has stolen from her in the past and she is willing to prosecute.