It was a traffic stop that began with tension but ended in an emotional, heartwarming scene, all captured on a deputy’s bodycam. This powerful video was just released by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office.
About six months ago, North Carolina Police Officer Shawn Singleton pulled Katelyn Ricchini over, according to WSOC.
“I was going the speed limit,” driver Ricchini could be heard saying in the video.
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“No, I clocked you at 61 in a 45,” Deputy Singleton responded to the driver while checking on how she was doing.
That Sunday, Ricchini got pulled over on her way home from church, and she was already having a rough day.
“I’m not allowed to have bad days?” she could be heard telling the deputy.
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“No, everybody is entitled to a bad day. I can understand that completely. But I’m trying to be nice and courteous to you, and I’m getting a lot of heat,” Singleton replied.
Even though the interaction got a little heated at first, the officer stayed calm and decided to just give Ricchini a warning, seeing her frustration.
“I understand you’re having a sh*t day. So, I’m not trying to make it any worse. This is a warning ticket for you to slow down. That’s it. No court date, no fines, no nothing,” Singleton could be heard saying. “I’ll ask you to pay attention to speed limit signs. Get to where you’re getting to safely.”
Then things changed.
“Are you good?” Singleton asked Ricchini.
“No, the anxiety is killing me. I come from a background … I’m clean and sober now, but I’ve always had bad incidents with cops,” Ricchini responded.
Singleton encouraged and then asked a question Ricchini wouldn’t expect in such a situation.
“Is there anything I can do for you? Do you need help with anything at all? Do you want a hug?” the deputy could be heard asking. They then shared a much-needed hug.
Ricchini, who had recently moved to the area to escape a violent relationship, then explained that she was having a tough time staying sober.
“I’ve never hugged a cop before. I’ve always been put in handcuffs by them,” she shared in an interview about her interaction that day with the deputy.
Singleton’s kindness and humanity that day unknowingly changed, and possibly saved, Ricchini’s life.
“I told him I was ready to give up. I was actually on my way to probably doing something that wasn’t in my best interest,” she said.
Singleton said he reassured her that everything was going to be OK and that she was on the right path.
“You’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing now. Don’t lose that hope,” he could be heard telling Ricchini during the traffic stop.
He told her that everything would be alright and that she was headed in the right direction, Singleton said.
The two recently explored the significance of their unexpected meeting with WSOC.
“He helped save my life,” Ricchini told the outlet. “He saw me as a person and not an addict. And he saw my heart. He saw that I have potential when so many people counted me out. I was questioning everything, and God sent me an angel.”
Ricchini revealed that she appreciates Singleton daily for his generosity to her that day and prays for him to be blessed.
Ricchini revealed she has invited Singleton to join her and her family in celebrating her one-year sobriety anniversary in November.
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