Police officers are supposed to serve and protect. Babysitting isn’t typically considered one of their duties, but one North Carolina State Trooper was willing to do just that for a busy mom last month.
At 4:30 on a cold December morning in Winston-Salem, mom and Starbucks barista Shantaphae Blakes called her shift supervisor, Harper Spell, in a panic. Through tears, Blakes explained that she didn’t have a babysitter for her daughter, Dilynn.
Spell needed Blakes to come into work that day, so she said to bring Dilynn with her, ensuring that they would find a way to take care of her.
“She was just wide-eyed, watching us,” Spell said of Dilynn. “We gave her a few little things to play with, something to eat, and she was good.”
Of course, Blakes had her doubts about how long they could keep Dilynn entertained and well behaved, especially when the Starbucks started to get busy with customers.
But that’s when State Trooper Brad Marshall, a regular at that Starbucks, walked in to get his morning coffee. He learned the situation and almost immediately stepped in as Dilynn’s babysitter. After a few minutes of watching Marshall take care of Dilynn, Blakes knew her daughter was in good hands.
“It just blew me away. It was wonderful,” said Blakes, struggling to hold back tears. “It shocked me. It made me feel so much better.”
Marshall ended up watching Dilynn for over an hour, getting a little help along the way from a couple of his State Trooper buddies.
“Trooper Brad and one of his fellow partners were outstanding in making sure we could still get our job done,” Spell wrote on Facebook while posting a few pictures from the day. “He even bought her a cup that she had been holding on to all morning.”
When her shift was over, Blakes was in tears while expressing her gratitude toward Marshall.
“She thanked (Marshall) a million times,” says Spell.