Widow finds a friend in DeSoto officer

DeSOTO — Most of us spend our lives avoiding a ride in squad car. But not 73-year-old Dorothy Shepard of DeSoto.

She is a widow who lives alone, recovering from recent knee and back surgeries. Her weekly rides in a patrol car with a new-found friend mean freedom.

Six months ago, Shepard was home in DeSoto when Officer John Holder came to the door for a wellness check.

"It was so unexpected that I started rambling," she said. "He listened; he was patient."

"She just struck me as someone who really needed someone to care and help her out," Holder added.

"He said, 'I'll give you my cell phone; if you ever need anything, call me,'" Shepard recalled. "And as it turns out, the next day I did need a ride!"

So Shepard called, and Officer Holder came through to ferry her to and from nearly every doctor's visit and grocery run for the last six months, when he is off-duty.

A DeSoto police officer who saw a woman in need didn't hesitate to help; now others are recognizing his kind acts. News 8's Marie Saavedra has more. Marie Saavedra / WFAA

It's clear these two now share a bond that goes beyond a police officer just doing his job. He didn't seek attention, and didn't even tell his superiors that he'd been helping Shepard all this time.

Then — last week — a shopper caught the pair picking up Shepard's thanksgiving meal. They posted images on the DeSoto Police Department's Facebook page, and the "likes" kept coming.

"I thought it was pretty amazing, all the great comments on there, since law enforcement is often seen in a negative light," Holder said.

Shepard said she isn't one for the limelight, but she's glad Officer Holder is getting the praise he deserves from his colleagues and from the public. She knows answering her calls and offering his steady hand is well beyond the call of duty.

For that — and for his friendship — she's grateful.

"I know police officers, but I never expected him to be that kind, and to go out of their way," Shepard said. "He's just tremendous."