Sonya Champion assumed she'd get a citation.

Sgt. Bob Battle and Officer Kevin Murphy from Gaston County Police showed up at the woman's home on the 1100 block of Peppertree Drive near Mount Holly on Sunday in response to a series of complaints about the condition of Champion's yard.

Grass had grown to about 3 feet in some areas at the back of the house. A broken lawn mower and mounting health bills made yard work difficult for the 55-year-old Champion, who's battling complications from colorectal cancer and shares a home with her two adult children and two grandchildren. Still, she felt police would have no choice but to fine her and add to her frustration.

"I was afraid they were coming to give me a ticket on the yard because my son is picking up extra hours at work to try to cover the load for us not having my income anymore," said Champion, a former bookkeeper.

Police not only didn't give Champion a ticket. They helped fix the problem, as well.

Murphy told Battle that he lived nearby and had a riding lawnmower he could bring over to mow the yard. The 20-year law enforcement veteran went home, changed out of his police uniform and came back over prepared to work.

Champion's daughter trimmed weeds while Murphy mowed. The officer refused the woman's offer to pay $5 for gas.

"He deserves a lot of glory," Champion said. "There's a lot of grace and love in him and his partner... I couldn't do anything but cry because they were so good."

Battle says if they wrote a citation, Champion would likely have to go to court. When Murphy volunteered to help, he figured it'd not only solve one of Champion's issues, but one the neighbors had, as well.

Murphy didn't think he had gone way out of his way to do a favor. He just believed it was the right thing to do.

"It was something I think they needed and I could help out so I did," Murphy said.

Gaston County Police Chief Joe Ramey commended the pair for stepping in.

He said they didn't seek recognition for what they did. Ramey viewed the act as a classic case of helping the community.

"I think it's an outstanding example of compassion and kindness on behalf of Sgt. Battle and Officer Murphy," he said. "In addition to that, it's a great example of thinking outside the box and applying community policing in a different manner."

Champion says she wanted to call police to thank them but didn't because she felt Murphy may get in trouble. She was contemplating calling the department's non-emergency number on Monday but felt too sick to do so.

Officers say this was a one-time fix and hope Champion's family can correct the problem going forward. Champion said she doesn't have health insurance and, with the family being strapped with medical expenses, other bills often fall by the wayside. She's worried about being able to continue making car payments and hopes, somehow, to eventually reach a place of normalcy.

She says what Murphy did was more than just a simple act, that it shows some people are dedicated to helping the community.

"I'd like to tell him that it's nice to know that there's still people in this world that can care for a stranger," she said. "That while everything in my life seems to be tumbling down around me he lifted me up and made me feel there's still people that actually want to care and will care and do care. The world needs so many more people like him. I don't even know how to say thank you. It meant that much to me."

You can reach Adam Lawson at 704-869-1842 or on Twitter.com/GazetteLawson.