For Jessica Dunbar, the morning of April 19 started like any other day. She was at work as a server at Red Robin. But when she saw nine officers who came in and sat in her section, she knew something wasn’t right.
That Tuesday was a particularly grueling day for a group of officers who attended the funeral for their fellow officer, Steven Smith, 54, who was shot and killed while on duty, in Ohio, according to several news outlets.
Officer Steven Smith / Facebook
The officers, including Lt. Jeff Shelton of the Wellington Police Department, stopped by the area Red Robin in Polaris, Ohio to have lunch after the funeral. They entered the restaurant and were seated in Jessica Dunbar’s section. What she did next, was totally unexpected.
According to NBC 4, After the nine officers ate their lunch, Dunbar brought their check to them. But, the check was paid in full and she included a note on back that read: “Officers, your bill is on me today, I can’t imagine the day you all have had, let alone what you go through every day. I hope your days get better. So much respect. #WeSeeYou #PoliceLivesMatter #RIPOfficerSmith.”
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Dunbar is the daughter of a retired police officer and told reporters that the death of Smith reminded her that “it could have been her father. ”
She told the station that she wasn’t looking for attention, she just wanted to help the officers. “I just wanted to do something nice. You can’t put a dollar amount on making somebody happy.”
Surprised and grateful at her thoughtful gesture, the officers took time to shake her hand and thank her before they left.
The bill totaled $123. According to Glass Door, The average Red Robin employee makes between $5.76 and $8.50 an hour.
“It really touched all of our hearts. We were crying all day and then you got a bunch of guys and female officers in there crying. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place by the time we were done,” Lt. Jeff Shelton said.
Watch NBC 4 video report below and please SHARE it if you appreciate everyone who serves the public.
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