Thousands of ‘likes’ for Louisiana Christmas story
Published 11:24 am Friday, December 26, 2014
LAFAYETTE — A black Lafayette woman wanted the world to know about a white policeman’s holiday-season kindness to her 2-year-old son. Casha Montgomery told the story on a television station’s Facebook site (http://on.fb.me/1xhAeHZ ).
It had nearly 4,000 “likes” by Thursday evening.
“THIS shows that not all officers are bad and people NEED to see that!!!” Casha Montgomery wrote in a message posted with a photograph she took and posted Dec. 9 of her son, M.J., sitting on Lt. Monte Potier’s knee in a grocery store where Potier was working off-duty.
Her message and the approval by others are especially touching at a time when police are being called racist because some white officers killed African-Americans, Potier told The Advertiser (http://bit.ly/1thcnd6 ).
“”It’s good to know there are people out there who don’t paint all officers with the same brush,” the 22-year police veteran said.
Montgomery wrote that she and her husband have been working with M.J. on what to do if he ever gets lost — go up to a police officer and give his name, his parents’ names, and their address.
When he saw Potier, she said, he ran up and recited them all.
“The officer was so impressed and told me thank you for teaching him that AND making sure he doesn’t fear police,” she wrote.
As Potier and Montgomery were saying goodbye, M.J. walked up, asking if he could have a “Toy Story” puzzle.
Montgomery told him to put it back on the shelf, adding that he might get it for Christmas if he wrote to Santa.
Potier said the boy’s bottom lip quivered but he obeyed. “That just melted me,” Potier said.
Montgomery wrote, “Usually he’d throw a fit but he politely put it back.”
Potier bought the puzzle. As the Montgomerys left, Potier said, he stopped them and told M.J. he’d called Santa to tell him what “a good and smart boy you are.” Then he bent down and added, “He thought you should have this.”
He said Montgomery asked if she could take a photo of him and her son, but he never thought about what she might do with it.
Montgomery wrote, “This made my night and as you can see, it made MJ’s as well!!! Thank you, sir. In a world so filled with hate it’s good to witness kindness.”
