When nine police officers enter her restaurant this waitress s day took a drastic turn

When nine police officers enter her restaurant, this waitress’s day takes a drastic turn. When Jessica Dunbar saw a group of police officers entering the restaurant where she worked, a strange feeling came over her. The waiter sensed something was wrong and soon discovered his instincts were correct. What she did next left Cobb stunned.

Dunbar works as a server at Red Robin at the Polaris Fashion Place shopping center in Columbus, Ohio. She is the daughter of a retired police officer who worked for many years as a Blandin Township officer. Dunbar is also a mother herself.

On April 10, 2016, the state capital was harmed by a terrifying incident. The SWAT team was called to serve an arrest warrant for a man suspected of being involved in an arson that happened the day before. But when they went to meet him at his home, tragedy struck.

The suspect, Lincoln Rutledge, then 44 years old, locked himself in his building and refused to come out. He then fired a gun at an armored SWAT vehicle parked outside. Officer Steve Smith was struck during the standoff and was rushed to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in critical condition. Two days later, it was announced that Smith had died, making him the 54th member of the Columbus police force to be killed in the line of duty. Coincidentally, the officer was also 54 years old and had worked for the Columbus Division of Police for 27 years. He leaves behind a wife and two adult children, Brittany and Jesse.

Columbus Chief Kim Jacobs shared the heartbreaking news and said Smith will be greatly missed by his friends and colleagues. “We lost a family member, the city lost a true hero, a true guardian and protector,” she told WCMH Columbus. “He loved life. His legacy is truly about living life to the fullest. He was living at 100 percent, at 100 miles per hour. » Officer Kevin Wheeler, who became his friend almost 20 years earlier after working together in the aviation unit, also paid tribute to him. “He would take the shirt off his back for anyone in the unit or anyone he knew he could help, even outside the unit, and boost our morale. Just incredible. »

Smith was buried on April 19 and funeral services were held in Westerville. Hundreds of uniformed police officers from his department and others arrived to pay tribute to a fallen hero. Smith was honored with a bagpiper, a riderless horse, an artillery salute and a helicopter flyover. After the emotional ceremony, a group of Smith’s colleagues decided to grab something to eat, so they headed to the nearby Red Robin for a casual meal. It was then that they encountered Dunbar, who immediately felt a sense of worry. The nine cops were sitting in Dunbar’s section and she asked them how they were doing. “The one guy said, ‘You know, it’s always a hard day when you have to put a brother in the ground,'” she told WCMH Columbus. “Right afterward, I said to myself, ‘I must be doing something right.’ » »

The young mother had heard about Smith’s story and thought about what she could do to make the officer’s day a little better. After they placed their orders, as the grieving cops ate their food, she had an idea. When they asked for the check, Dunbar gave it to them, but instead of presenting them with their $123 bill, she placed the check face down on the front. The amount charged was zero dollars, and on the back she scrolled a touching message for the group. “Officers, your bill is on me today,” the note read. “I can’t imagine the day you’re all going through, let alone what you have to go through every day. I hope your days get better. So much respect. #WeSeeYou #PoliceLivesMatter #RIPOfficerSmith. »

Lt. Jeff Shelton of the Wellington Police Department was one of the officers at the restaurant and admitted they could not have predicted what Dunbar did. “It really touched all of our hearts,” he told WCMH. “We weren’t expected to be treated any differently than normal, and just having someone come and do that, it really made our day.” Shelton added that this act of kindness made the group even more emotional. “We cried all day, and then there was a group of male and female officers crying,” he revealed. “Everyone at the table, uh, started crying. There wasn’t a dry eye there. »

Dunbar revealed that she was inspired to help because Smith’s story reminded her of her own family, particularly the difficult situations her father put himself through in his job. “He left behind a wife and children,” she said of Smith. “It could have been me, it could have been my father. » And she added that she was extremely touched by the recognition of the police officers for her thoughtful gesture. “Just having a bunch of police officers, I mean, men and women who protect us, I mean, that’s what they do. And people look up to them and ask them to shake my hand and say thank you, it was amazing. »

Dunbar’s actions were shared on the Ohio Going Blue community Facebook page, and the post quickly received more than 10,000 likes. The server and her family were invited to the Lorain County Police Memorial, and commenters were quick to call the young woman awesome and congratulate her on her good deed. “Thank you for supporting our many wonderful officers,” wrote Jeff Hughes. Another commenter, Julie Zielinski Morgan, added: “My husband was one of the Polaris Red Robin officers with a group. They stopped there to eat after the funeral. He called me to tell me about it right away. Acts like this are never expected but always appreciated. Sincere thanks from a police officer’s wife. »

Dunbar revealed during an appearance on Fox and Friends with Shelton that her former police officer father was very proud of what she had done, and she admitted that the moment she told him was one of the only times where she saw him crying. The young mother explained that she was happy to make a small difference in the police officer’s life. “You can’t invest a certain amount to make someone happy,” she added to WCMH Columbus. “I just wanted to do something nice, honestly. I mean, I don’t know what it’s like to be in that situation and make their day a little better. » If you like the story, please give it a like and share it with someone who might find it interesting.