Man captures viral photo showing Orting officer's act of kindness



ORTING, Wash. -- A police officer's simple act of kindness is taking off on social media, and it was a man in Pierce County that captured the moment.

Thousands of people have seen the photo online, and the photographer says he just wanted everyone to see that good cops really do exist.

At 85-years-old, Joanne Butts is a woman with places to go and people to meet.

"Well it's either that or stay at home, and I don't stay at home," said Joanne.

While running errands in Orting on Friday afternoon. Joanne tried to cross the street at Calistoga and Corrin, a busy intersection.

"I have to cross the street by listening for traffic," she said.

Joanne is blind and relies on her hearing to get around town safely.

"I'm not going to play chicken with a motor vehicle," said Joanne.

After waiting a few moments, she felt a lull in traffic.

"I started to take a step out into the crosswalk and just about that time from my left I heard a screech of brakes in gravel that was close to me, so I stopped again," she said. "That's when the police officer came up to me and said 'I'm an orting police officer and I want to make sure you get across the road safely.'"

Officer Phil Taylor spotted Joanne trying to make her way across the busy street.

"She looked a little indecisive, a little apprehensive about crossing," Officer Taylor said. "She looked like she needed a hand and I was in the right place at the right time."

And Kyle Butler just happened to have his camera ready -- capturing the moment as it unfolded.

"Just the genuine, wanting to be a good person wanting to help... he could have just kept going, no big deal, she probably would have made it, but it was just the service and the pride he took in his work," said Kyle.

Kyle posted the picture on Facebook and it quickly went viral.

"The world abounds with kind people," said Joanne. "The good things that they do need to be known, and I'm sure he's done acts of kindness many many times, but there was just no one there to take a picture of it."