Police officers patrolling downtown Oklahoma City told Staff Sgt. Corey Nooner nothing could be done to help the homeless woman they regularly encountered on the streets.

They said she was too mean and aggressive to receive his help. She had been in and out of the Oklahoma County jail.

But Nooner — who received special training to deal with the severely mentally ill — wanted to try to help her.

He drove to a corner where the woman was known to frequent and got out of his patrol car. The woman was apprehensive as the uniformed officer tried to make conversation with her.