After This Distraught Boy Called 911, A Cop Saw His Bedroom And Sprang Into Action

As teenagers, our emotions can often get the better of us for all sorts of reasons. In the case of Cameron Simmons, however, he felt pushed so far in 2014 that he called 911 and threatened to run away from his home in South Carolina. After responding to his call for help, Officer Gaetano Acerra spotted the teen’s bedroom and immediately sprang into action.

Living in Sumter, South Carolina, Simmons apparently got into a heated argument with his mother after she yelled at him for playing video games owned by his older brother. Visibly upset by the exchange, the then 13-year-old decided to call 911. On the phone, the teen told authorities he wanted to get away from his family and their home. Officer Acerra of the Sumter Police Department responded to Simmons’ call, hoping to dissuade him from fleeing. “I told him you’re good, you have a roof over your head, and I told him I would try to help him, and here we are now,” the officer recalled to WIS TV , an NBC subsidiary, in May 2014.

Acerra, who joined the department in 2013, eventually went to the Simmons. When he arrived, the teenager then took him to his room. From there, Acerra began to think that perhaps there was more behind this cry for help than a petty argument between the boy and his mother. Upon entering, Acerra apparently discovered that Simmons did not have a bed or anything else in the room besides a black trash bag containing his clothes. Unsurprisingly, the police officer said he was shocked by the sight, prompting him to investigate further. It was with this in mind that he later learned that the teenager’s mother had been having difficulties since moving from Texas to South Carolina, while caring for a sick parent.

Simmons’ unfortunate situation clearly resonated with Acerra, who then sought to help the teen and his family. “My heart broke for him and I thought that with the little things he needed I could give to him to make him a happier child,” Acerra recalled. After his visit, Acerra apparently spent the next few weeks searching for gifts for the family, with a particular focus on the teenager. After all, the officer said Simmons told him he only slept on the couch or on an air mattress, so a bed seemed to be one of Acerra’s priorities.

After finding all the items, Acerra then returned home with his brother Ferdinando. The couple arrived in a truck carrying the gifts as they looked to finally fill the space in Simmons’ room. “The kid was in tears,” the officer recalled to ABC News in May 2014. “He was just in shock, so happy. » Simmons received, among other things, a new bed as well as a chair, a desk and a television. “He said to me, ‘So now my back won’t hurt when I sleep.’ »

But the surprises don’t stop there. Someone else donated another item during the initial search for Acerra. So, after calling 911 following an argument over his brother’s video games, the teenager was now the proud owner of a Nintendo Wii game console. After delivering the items, Ferdinando took a photo of Acerra and Simmons sharing a warm embrace outside the house. Inspired by his brother’s actions, he later posted the image along with a heartfelt message on Facebook. However, few people could have predicted what happened next. In a few days, Ferdinando’s publication received 50,000 likes from users of the social network. Today, that number stands at over 143,000 likes, and the post has over 59,000 shares and over 8,000 comments.

Despite this outpouring of support, Acerra has made his intentions clear. “I didn’t do this for publicity or for people to notice me. I did it because I could and it was the right thing to do. And I think people should do things like that. » Although he was not in the spotlight, the police officer was nevertheless unanimously praised by Internet users who praised his action via Ferdinando’s Facebook publication. “This needs to be shared across the country,” user Erica Vore wrote. “Thank your brother for his protection and service and for being such a wonderful person in caring for a child in need. »

This sentiment was reiterated by his colleague Marjorie Riley Harris, who also took the time to congratulate the police. “What Acerra did was above and beyond the call of duty,” Harris wrote. “Our police force is the best. I’m sure there are others doing the same to help those in need that we never hear about. God bless the men who wear the uniform. » Meanwhile, the story hit close to home for netizen Malaysia Sweet, who also shared her views on the reputation of the police. “It literally brought tears to my eyes,” she wrote. “I grew up in Sumter County, and to see this is just amazing. Too often we hear and see the men in blue doing messed up things to people, but that’s what this is about,” Sweet continued. “Help and protect those in need. The little boy will never forget this. »

These thoughts were shared by another user, Olga Montes, who also praised Acerra’s efforts. “Wow, what an awesome officer,” Montes wrote. “If we had more of these kind-hearted officers, the world would be a better place. Hats off to this special officer who went the extra mile. May God bless and protect you always for making this young boy so happy. I am sure he will never forget this officer for the rest of his life. »

Still, Acerra wasn’t done yet. Indeed, after delivering these items to Simmons, Acerra was apparently prepared to send him more furniture for his bedroom, including a mirror and a dresser. The two men also became friends and the police officer even gave the teenager his personal cell phone number. In 2016, Acerra left the Sumter Police Department and moved to San Francisco, California. Before that, however, he expressed his hope to help more people in need, like the Simmons family. “I didn’t expect this, and I’m not one to gloat or brag or even ask for help, but with all these people supporting us, we can change a lot of lives,” he told ABC News in May 2014.

So yes, as a teenager, your emotions can actually get the better of you. For Cameron Simmons, however, his seemingly impulsive decision to call 911 changed his life. Not only did he get some much-needed bedroom furniture, but he also found a friend.