A kindhearted cop in Laurel, Maryland, is receiving plaudits for dealing with an alleged shoplifter in a genuinely heartwarming way.

After security guards at a Giant grocery store detained a young mother this weekend for allegedly trying to steal $15 worth of diapers, Laurel Police Department Officer Bennett Johns cited her for misdemeanor theft.

But when the woman, who has not been identified, claimed she couldn’t afford to buy the diapers for her 2-year-old son, Johns turned a negative into a positive and paid for them out of his own pocket.

Police shared details of his selfless deed to Facebook on Saturday.

“Though it’s but a snapshot of some of the work your officers are doing daily, we still wanted to take a moment to thank Officer Johns for not just fairly enforcing the law, but also showing empathy to an innocent child put in a difficult situation,” the department wrote.

The post has sparked hundreds of positive comments toward the officer:

Laurel police Chief Richard McLaughlin told Fox News he was “very proud” of all of his officers “and particularly this one.”