A routine traffic stop that briefly became a nerve-wracking situation for a Georgia police officer ended up with him in tears from a surprise gesture.
Heard County Sheriff's Department Deputy Brandon Wiggins pulled over a man for running a stop sign in Ephesus around midnight on July 24, when two other cars rolled up alongside the man's truck.
"Any officer who has two vehicles pull up on him in a traffic stop scene is going to be nervous and a ton more alert,'' Wiggins told TODAY.
In a Facebook post that included dashcam footage of the stop, Wiggins, 22, wrote that his heart was pounding and his hand was close to his gun.
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It turned out that the man he initially pulled over was the son of the other man and a woman who pulled up on the scene to check on their son.
The parents had just come from the hospital, where the grandfather of the man Wiggins pulled over was recovering after suffering from a stroke. Wiggins said he wishes to keep the family's name anonymous.
Once Wiggins relaxed after he could clearly see the hands of all the drivers, he was reduced to tears when the father grabbed his hand and made a request. The man asked if he could pray for Wiggins and his fellow policemen.
"It's not something you would expect,'' Wiggins said. "When he was praying and when they left, it really hit home and I started crying."
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Wiggins was appreciative for the parents thinking of him during a difficult time for their family
"Out of all he had going on and the stress on him, all I could say was it was God working,'' Wiggins said. "That man took time out of his night after being with his father and his family to take time to pray for me and my family and my brothers in blue."
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