Horry County Police Officer CJ Mullinax is being hailed a hero for buying a homeless man a meal at Hardee's on May 26. (Victoria Paige Summer)
When Horry County Police Officer CJ Mullinax responded to a call from a Hardee’s about a homeless man "asking for scraps," he didn't remove the man from the restaurant. Instead, the South Carolina cop pulled out his wallet and offered to buy the stranger a meal.
"[He] handled the situation amazingly!" employee Victoria Paige Summer posted on Facebook Saturday, along with a 20-second clip of the cop standing next to the man at the register.
Employees at the fast food joint near Hwy. 17 had been feeding the man for days. But Summer believes a disgruntled customer decided to call 911 on Saturday to complain.
Both employees and customers were shocked to hear Mullinax ask the man if he was hungry — and point to the menu with a grin.
"I was thrilled that the officer had so much compassion so I thought I should take a video," Summer told WMBF.
The video of the Horry County cop's kind act has been viewed nearly 90,000 times as of Tuesday evening. Dozens of people commented on the post, applauding the officer for not kicking the man out.
"Nice to read such a good story! Kudos to the officer!" one Facebook user commented.
"People forget that the police are there to not only protect but also to serve," another added.
"He was begging for scraps, not money...God bless him for being willing to feed his fellow man!" a woman replied.
A Myrtle Beach resident said he recognized the homeless man on the video, identifying him as a veteran named Donald.
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"He served in the Army from 1978-1981 then got out, worked in construction and then hit a wall which brought him to a point in his life that walked him down the road to homelessness.... his family doesn’t talk to him and he’s the nicest guy," the local said.
This isn't the first time Mullinax has been praised for doing a good deed. In 2015, he was seen on a viral video throwing a football around with a group of neighborhood kids, WMBF reports.
"That’s good ol Mullinax," one resident said.
"He's a good officer ... always has been," another echoed.
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