Most releases the Dallas Police Department send to the media are the stuff of crime stats and nightmares -- it's usually bloody awful bad news. But then, a short while ago, this tale arrived in the in-box courtesy Sgt. Warren Mitchell, a DPD spokesman. The subject header? "Positive News Story." I think we could all use one of those right about now.
On January 18, 2011, Police Officers Raul Hernandez and Farie Phelps answered a call at 7135 Turfway regarding a theft. The complainant, a very upset 10-year-old Nukia Weaver, advised them that she had been out riding her bike with her friends when she stopped to go inside to get a drink of water. As she was coming back outside, Nukia saw an unknown male putting her bike into the trunk of a vehicle and leave the scene.
After taking Nukia's report, documented on Case # 15076-Y, Officers Hernandez and Phelps went to Walmart to see if the suspect had attempted to return the bike that Nukia had just received on her birthday a little over a week ago. They also checked at the local pawn shops. When they were unsuccessful in locating her bike, Officers Hernandez and Phelps, as well as Police Officers Dianna Williams and Tonya McDaniel, decided to buy Nukia the same bike that had just been stolen. Nukia's sad tears turned into happy tears as she told her mom, "We called nice police officers to help us!"