By Suzie Ziegler
TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida deputy made a big impact on one man’s life last weekend – simply by lending an ear.
It began as a traffic stop for illegal exhaust emissions but quickly turned into something much more.
“Hey, how’s it going?” says Deputy Rizer in a video posted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday. Immediately, the motorcyclist appears to break down.
“I had a horrible week,” the man says. “I saw my friend die in front of me.”
“It’s alright. Take your helmet off. We’ll talk about it,” the deputy says. “I’m glad I stopped you if you’re emotional like that.”
The deputy continues, “When you get a chance to talk to people, you know, that can help you, it really can, because I don’t want to see anybody to die on a motorcycle.”
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“You’re the first person I actually talked to, to be honest,” the man responds.
“It’s not all about tickets and arresting people and dumb stuff like that,” the deputy says. “It’s emotional.”
The deputy let the motorcyclist off with a warning and gave the rider his personal phone number.