Photo Of N.Y. Cop Giving Barefooted Homeless Man Boots Goes Viral

NEW YORK  — A tourist’s snapshot of a New York City police officer giving new boots to a barefoot homeless man in Times Square has created an online sensation.

Jennifer Foster, of Florence, Ariz., was visiting New York with her husband on Nov. 14, when she came across the shoeless man asking for change in Times Square.

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As she was about to approach him, she said the officer – identified as Larry DePrimo – came up to the man with a pair of all-weather boots and thermal socks on the frigid night. She recorded his generosity on her cellphone.

It was posted Tuesday night to the NYPD’s official Facebook page and became an instant hit. More than 325,000 users “liked” it as of Thursday morning, and over 79,000 shared it.

Thousands of people commented, including one person who praised him as “An officer AND a Gentleman.”

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The photo shows the officer kneeling beside the man with the boots at his feet. A shoe store is seen in the background.