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Officer purchases food for man caught stealing
Bozeman Daily Chronicle ^ | February 4, 2010 | AMANDA RICKER

Posted on 02/05/2010 9:24:24 PM PST by ellery

Bozeman Police Officer Marek Ziegler was called to Van’s IGA last Friday night to check on a shoplifting report.

The 33-year-old officer has been on the Bozeman force for three years. He is a K-9 handler and works nights, from about 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

When he got to the grocery store on North Seventh Avenue, employees told Ziegler that a 32-year-old man had stuffed food and “pens, pencils, maybe markers, things for his kids” into his coat.

The officer arrested the man, cited him for theft and then released him.

But the story didn’t end there.

Ziegler had asked the man why he had been stealing.

“He was really upset,” Ziegler said this week. “Basically, he told me he’s having a hard time and can’t provide the food for his family right now, so that’s why he was stealing.”

Ziegler already had the man’s address, but asked for the man’s phone number.

“I told him, ‘Give me 15 minutes,’ and I went and got him some food.”

Ziegler ran to Wal-Mart, picked up a few frozen pizzas and delivered them to the man’s house.

“Obviously, as a police officer, I have a job to do, but we’re still human, too,” Ziegler said.

When the officer handed over the food, the man shook his hand and thanked him for understanding, Ziegler said.

And then Ziegler kept the story to himself.

However, a Chronicle reporter was at the 911 dispatch center that night. She overheard tidbits of the officer’s report that he was going to buy the man some food. The Chronicle sought out the story. Ziegler wasn’t seeking attention for his good deed.

“These guys, they just don’t really brag about things like that,” Acting Police Chief Marty Kent said. “It wouldn’t surprise me that he wouldn’t say anything.”

Ziegler shrugged off the idea that he had done something out of the ordinary.

“It’s just what we do to take care of each other,” he said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: angels; military; obama
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1 posted on 02/05/2010 9:24:24 PM PST by ellery
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To: ellery

I spend a lot of time protesting (and posting about) the bad behavior that has become all too common among our union police forces.

It’s nice to post one about one of the good guys for a change.


2 posted on 02/05/2010 9:26:09 PM PST by ellery (It's a free country.)
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To: ellery

Great story. God Bless.


3 posted on 02/05/2010 9:28:43 PM PST by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: ellery

Great story!


4 posted on 02/05/2010 9:29:08 PM PST by valkyry1
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To: ellery
A sweet humanitarian story.

I just hope the food wasn't twinkies.

5 posted on 02/05/2010 9:31:32 PM PST by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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To: ellery

this is true charity....the kind that Jesus would love.....unsolicited,person to person, done quietly without putting on airs.....


6 posted on 02/05/2010 9:33:24 PM PST by cherry
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To: ellery

Wonderful story. Thank you for posting it.


7 posted on 02/05/2010 9:39:05 PM PST by Busta Rhymes
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To: ellery

With all the food banks, food stamps, welfare, unemployment, church charities, school supply charities, etc etc, this guy thought it was a good idea to steal from the IGA? Want to bet this wasn’t even close to the first time?


8 posted on 02/05/2010 9:46:54 PM PST by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: ellery

99% of stories like this never make the news. But it is nice when 1% squeaks through. Thanks for posting it!


9 posted on 02/05/2010 9:52:39 PM PST by KJC1
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To: pissant

Good poinr - so I checked, having woked in MT once upon a time.
The one food bank in town is out of chow - check their web site.

Maybe you could send them a check, being flush and all

Food Bank
602 Bond St
Bozeman, MT 59715
PHONE NUMBER: (406) 586-7600

Did see a part-time church based outfit trying to help, they could likely use a check as well.


10 posted on 02/05/2010 9:56:55 PM PST by ASOC (In case of attack, tune to 640 kilocycles or 1240 kilocycles on your AM dial.)
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To: pissant

You are always an ass.


11 posted on 02/05/2010 9:59:48 PM PST by Snurple (VEGETARIAN, OLD INDIAN WORD FOR BAD HUNTER.)
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To: Snurple

Uh huh. And I also volunteered for years for our local food bank. Imagine that.


12 posted on 02/05/2010 10:04:10 PM PST by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: pissant

You’re still an ass.


13 posted on 02/05/2010 10:05:10 PM PST by Snurple (VEGETARIAN, OLD INDIAN WORD FOR BAD HUNTER.)
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To: ellery

I have a story.A woman who shops at our thrift store had a coat stealing happen against her husband.The coat was size 3 children’s.The police offered a drive home and then came back with clothes and food for the children.Charges were dropped.


14 posted on 02/05/2010 10:07:25 PM PST by fatima (Free Hugs Today :))
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To: Snurple

Beats being a naive idiot.


15 posted on 02/05/2010 10:09:23 PM PST by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: ASOC

Better yet, have your bud get a hold of these guys:

Salvation Army Bozeman
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 586-9051

IF they can’t help, then here’s a backup plan:

http://bozeman.areaconnect.com/churches.htm

ANd if all else fails, the gov’t has:

http://www.nccp.org/profiles/MT_profile_29.html

http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/


16 posted on 02/05/2010 10:20:45 PM PST by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: ellery

I second your view.


17 posted on 02/05/2010 10:26:01 PM PST by JLS (Democrats: People who wont even let you enjoy an unseasonably warm winter day)
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To: ellery

We need more like him. Heck...I need to be more like him.


18 posted on 02/05/2010 10:28:33 PM PST by B Knotts (Calvin Coolidge Republican)
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To: pissant

Just living up to your name, eh?


19 posted on 02/05/2010 10:57:42 PM PST by Soothesayer9
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To: B Knotts
We need more like him. Heck...I need to be more like him.

Doesn't take a whole lot. Just little things like this cop did. Sometimes I get taken by a professional panhandler but in the grand scheme of things it's not worth the dollar saved to prove myself right :-)

One time in a grocery in Bellevue, WA, I was behind a young girl in the checkout just before closing time. She had a can of baby formula and a gallon of milk. She wrote a check and it didn't get accepted.

The clerk did nothing more than stare at her and I watched as disbelief spread across her face and tears welled-up in her eyes.

She started to put her wallet back in her purse to leave when I piped-up and told her I'd "lend" her the $10.00 she needed to pay for the goods. Saying that I was in that store all the time (which was a lie I was working a temp project in town) I told her to just pay me next time she saw me. You'd think she'd won the lottery.

I've done it since then but only a dollar here or there. The $10 spot was my largest "instant" donation :-) Not tooting my own horn just saying it doesn't take a lot to put a smile on someone's face.

20 posted on 02/05/2010 11:08:20 PM PST by VeniVidiVici (Marsha Coakley's been teabagged. Populists Hugo Chavez and Hussein Obama are next.)
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