Heart-Touching Photo Shows Phoenix Police Officer Consoling Child

PHOENIX, AZ — Edna Guerrero says the photo she snapped of a Phoenix school resource officer comforting a crying middle schooler is an example of “tender mercy” that’s shown every day in officers’ interactions with students, but rarely publicly celebrated.

Guerrero’s photo, posted on her Facebook page and reposted by the Phoenix Police Department, changed that. Thousands of people have liked, shared and commented on it.

That’s just what Guerrero wanted to happen to help her friend, School Resource Officer Rusty Baubie. In her original post, she wrote how grateful she was to have been a position to capture the moment between Baubie and the student. She wrote:

“Those that do the most, those that go above and beyond are those that are rarely recognized. This amazing officer is one of those people. This officer always does more than is expected of him.

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“This officer is loved and respected by the community. This officer is humble. This officer has a heart of gold.

“I am so grateful to have captured this tender mercy. A student was having a difficult time, was screaming and inconsolably crying, saying sad and negative things about himself. This officer looked through the eyes of this student and immediately showed mercy.

“This officer spoke softly to the student letting him know that he did matter, that he was important, that he was loved. This officer helped this student understand that we all make mistakes and that those mistakes do not define who we are and we just learn from them and move on.

“This officer is one of the many kind hearted that go unnoticed for his good deeds. This officer is the example we all need. I am honored to call Officer Baubie my friend.”

In its post, the Phoenix Police Department said police officers play multiple roles and “oftentimes it is just being a friend.”

“There are many roles of today’s police officers, oftentimes it is just being a friend,” read the department’s caption. “School Resource Officer Rusty Baubie #8258 takes the time to comfort a student.

Photo by Jenna Fisher / Patch