A police officer pulling over a black man in Ohio could have been the precursor to another bout of protests. However, one Facebook post documenting such a happening had such a refreshingly positive outcome that it’s gone viral.

When Mark Ross received a call in the middle of the night informing him that his 15-year-old sister had been killed, all he wanted was to be with his family.

Since he didn’t have a car, he asked a friend to drive him the 400km (250 miles) from Indiana to Detroit. However, his friend had a suspended license.

After being pulled over for speeding in Ohio, Ross explained what had happened, bursting into tears.

“I explained to the officer that my sister had died and that I needed to get to my mother ASAP” Ross said. “I broke down crying and he saw the sincerity in my cry.”

To Ross’ surprise, the officer, Sgt. David Robison of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, didn’t arrest him but instead offered to drive him to Detroit.

“He offered to bring me 100 miles [160km] further to Detroit because they towed the vehicle,” he said.

When they reached Detroit, Robinson asked Ross if he could pray for him. He then reached over and “began praying over me and my family,” explained Ross.

“Everybody knows how much I dislike cops but I am truly grateful for this guy,” said Ross. “He gave me hope.”

The Facebook post has been shared over 100,000 times since being posted on Sunday.