Lakeland Detective Brightens Christmas For 12-Year-Old Boy

LAKELAND, FL - Lakeland Police Detective Nick Pollice brought some joy during the holidays to a 12-year-old boy who had recently known tragedy. Just after Thanksgiving, Pollice met the boy while responding to a call at the boy's home where his father had died. Upon returning home from school, the boy found his father collapsed on the floor, according to a post on the Lakeland Police Department's Facebook page.

Pollice, a father of three boys of his own, began talking with the boy and trying to comfort him. The officer struck up a conversation about the boy's shoes. They were Jordan 3s which Pollice knew all too well as he, too. was a fan and collector of the shoes since he was a boy.

For those few minutes while talking about the shoes, the boy, who was not identified by police, forgot about the tragedy he was facing. But then the boy mentioned “Dad said he was going to get me a pair for Christmas…but not now.”

Pollice was determined that the boy would have a new pair of Jordan's for Christmas. He reached out to co-workers and friends who started contributing money and met with the manager of Jimmy Jazz who agreed to help. Even Nike sent items after hearing the young boy's story.

During the holidays, Pollice presented the boy with a box of gifts. Not only did the boy find one pair of Jordan's in the box, but five. His favorites were the newly released Gatorade edition. Also, the sizes were staggered to allow room for the growing boy.

"We know shoes can never erase the tragedy this boy and his family have endured this past month, but we hope he had a little more joy this Christmas," the Facebook post said.

Image and video via Lakeland Police Department