Milford Police Officer Lends A Helping Hand To Homeless Man

MILFORD, MA — A Milford police officer is receiving high praise from both his colleagues and residents in town after a Facebook post showing him buying food for a homeless man went viral. The officer insists it was nothing out of the ordinary but residents and the department are using it as an example of community policing at it's finest.

When officer Jhan Wade started his shift on Wednesday, he went about it the way he normally does, offering help where other officers and citizens needed it. While he was out grabbing dinner for the other officers on patrol at the Garden Pizza Plaza, another normal occurrence for him, he stopped to chat with a homeless man he recognized. After a few minutes of conversation, Wade left and returned with food for the man — he knew he was hungry. He went about his night and thought nothing of it, but a woman watching from her car was so taken aback that she snapped a photo and wrote a post that sent the Milford social media scene raving.

Maura Sousa Danakos, the woman who witnessed the interaction and created the post, said when she first saw Wade talking to the homeless man who was strumming the guitar outside, she feared someone may have made a noise or loitering complaint. She goes on to express her gratitude in the post, when she sees the officer reappear. It reads in part:

"Moments later I walk out and see that same officer handing that man a bottle of water, Med coffee cup and a bag from Honey Dew.

Thank you To that officer for his compassion and thoughtfulness."

Danakos said she's lived in Milford for 10 years and never witnessed something like that. She said people often hear such negative things about police that she wanted to highlight the good happening right in the community. "Just seeing the number of likes on that post touches my heart — that the officer's compassion at that moment touched so many peoples hearts," Danakos said. She now uses the encounter as an example to her children that small acts of kindness can hold a lot of meaning in people's lives.

Since the post was published, Wade has been showered with compliments, but he insists he was just doing the right thing. "I think anybody would try to help," he said. Wade had met the homeless man before on previous calls from concerned citizens who had seen him walking close to busy roads. He said he knew was hungry and just decided to ask him what he wanted. "I just got him what he asked for, a donut and a coffee and water," Wade said.

Wade has been in the department as an officer for barely a year and is already making his mark. While he's a new officer, he's been with Milford Police Department since 2016 when he started as an intern, working his way up to dispatcher and now officer.

"I always wanted to be a police officer," he said, "It sounds cliché but, I like that it gives me a reason to talk to people." Wade came to the department straight from Salem State University and once he landed his official role as an officer, he made the move from Dorchester, where he grew up, to Milford.

His peers in the department seem to be just as thankful to have him around as the residents who commented on the Facebook post. Milford dispatcher Jay Covino remembers when he first trained Wade to be a dispatcher. "He was hired as a dispatcher and from literally his first day hired went above and beyond what was asked of him to not only learn the trade but to serve the public and his co-workers," Covino said, adding that things haven't changed a bit, "Jhan always starts and ends his day with the same question —'You guys need anything?"

Interim Police Chief Michael Pighetti said he's only been chief for a month but has noticed the strides Wade takes to put the community at the forefront of his service. "He's the right kind of cop, just such a good person," Pighetti said, "What that post captured was community policing done right."

Wade appreciates the praise, and even though he doesn't have a Facebook of his own, he's seen the comments on the post and is touched. "I saw some people commenting about the positive interactions they've had with me and I'm touched, I really appreciate her posting that," he said.