Officers’ kindness was a welcome surprise

■    When Phoenix police officer Natalie Simonick saw 18-year-old Christian Felix out after dark in March, she suspected he was violating curfew. But Felix told her he was walking six miles home from his job at McDonald’s, as he had missed the bus and didn’t own a bicycle. Simonick was so impressed with the teen’s work ethic that she decided to buy him a bicycle. Her squad members taught him to ride it, and traffic cops even donated a helmet.

Felix said the officers’ kindness was a welcome surprise. “These days, you don’t see anything like that,” he said.