A policeman is being praised for his kindness after he was spotted sharing his lunch with a homeless woman at the side of the road.
Officer Michael Rivers was snapped and the image shared on Facebook , as he sat with the woman in North Carolina, in the USA.
According to Chris Barnes, his wife Cassie took the photo while she was on her lunch break.
She saw the pair sharing a pizza and soft drink while they were having a friendly chat.
Mr Barnes uploaded the image with the caption: “Cassie was out on her lunch break and observed Goldsboro’s Finest enjoying lunch with a homeless person.
“Law enforcement does so much for our community, with a lot of it going unnoticed.
"We see you Goldsboro P.D. Keep up the good work.”
Officer Rivers, who has worked for Goldsboro Police Department for eight years, recalled seeing the woman earlier that day.
He told Yahoo news: “I was leaving the parking lot of Walmart and she was standing by the stop sign.
“Her shirt read, ‘Homeless the fastest way of becoming a nobody.’
"I hated that she felt that way.”
He added: “I always try to talk to the homeless just to see how they got into their situation, you know?
"Because, like I tell everybody, it can happen to any one of us, at any given moment.”
After he drove away, he circled back to ask if the woman was hungry and if she wanted food.
The officer said she was honoured by his offer.
He bought them both pizza and Mountain Dew and when the pair sat down to eat, he learned of her family struggles and told her: “Hey, you still got stuff to live for, you still got your life ahead of you. It’s never too late.”
Officer Rivers, who does recruiting for the Goldsboro PD, hopes to send a message of compassion for others.
He added: "When the younger or newer guys come in, I let them know, ‘Hey, treating the community like human beings is the most important thing in the world'.
"And part of that message is, ‘You don’t have to charge everybody for everything.’
"So if we as police officers show that love and compassion to everybody, no matter their age, financial background or race, the world would be a better place.”
