Oneida County Sheriff’s Deputy Caught on Camera Lending A Helping Hand

It's not the typical reason that a bystander pulls out their cell phone to capture of member of law enforcement, but when she saw it happening decided to snap a few photos of it.

A Central New York woman says the incident happened at the Rome Walmart location recently. Britanni Benenati says an Oneida County Sheriff's Deputy was assisting her with something in the parking when a group of six people - 2 adults and 4 children - exited their vehicle and entered the store.

The woman says Deputy Chuck Hanes - a sheriff's deputy - observed that three of four kids should have been in booster seats, but saw that the vehicle only had one car seat inside.

After speaking with the adults about state law requirements about booster seats for children, Deputy Hanes went into the store and, with his own money, bought three booster seats for the kids who didn't have them, she wrote on Facebook:

...After explaining everything he took the woman into Walmart and purchased with his own money, 3 booster seats for the 3 children without them, and then helped put them in the vehicle...

WIBX 950 has confirmed the series of events with the Oneida County Sheriff's Office.

The woman who snapped photos of the deputy's generosity and shared the story also said she believes he deserves to be recognized.

"His main concern was that those children got home safe! Not all cops are bad cops!", she wrote on her social media page.