A young man tackles a thief who had stolen the handbag from an elderly woman at a supermarket

When you witness a crime, you have a duty to intervene if you have the opportunity to do so. We cannot just stand and stare or turn away every time an injustice occurs in front of us. When Deshawn Pressley heard the screams of an old lady whose purse had just been stolen while she was waiting in line at the supermarket checkout, he didn't think twice before chasing after the thief and knocking him down. This valiant gesture earned him the recognition of the Citizen's Award, an award he absolutely deserved for the courage he had shown. Pressley showed everyone how a model citizen should act when faced with a call for help. Even the thief was surprised he had been chased, demonstrating that not everyone can act so promptly.

via Youtube

Deshawn Pressley had gone to the supermarket with his 1-year-old daughter, and he certainly did not expect this to become a memorable day for him. The young man was near one of the supermarket checkouts when he heard the screams of an elderly woman: someone had just snatched her bag from her arm. “I heard her scream and scream… it was the scream of someone who needed help. I just turned around and did what I had to do as a citizen,” commented Pressley.

Pressley chased after the thief, who was constantly glancing back over his shoulder, but not really expecting anyone to chase him. "I chased him," said Pressley, "He got to his car and everything, but I grabbed him, held him down - I dropped him. I did what I had to do until the arrival of the police".

Mrs Goins, the woman Pressley had helped and who was the victim of the theft, could not stop thanking him: "I am happy that he has received this honor because he is my hero", commented the elderly woman. Furthermore, the two will continue to visit each other: even if united by an unpleasant episode, they will cultivate their new friendship. The elderly woman, in fact, has already invited him to dinner!

Pressley states that his altruism and courage stems a lot from the way his grandmother raised him: "It was good that she taught me what she taught me ... I am grateful to her." The young man is a true model citizen and he deserves to be praised for the speed and courage with which he intervened in helping a vulnerable, elderly person. We should all learn from Pressley's example!