NYC homeless man shoeless again despite boots

USATODAY

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York City homeless man — whose gift of boots from an NYPD police officer became an online sensation — is back on the streets with no shoes.

The New York Times found him Sunday night wandering barefoot in Manhattan. The paper identified him as Jeffrey Hillman.

Asked about the $100 all-weather boots Officer Larry DePrimo gave him on Nov. 14, Hillman says he's hidden them because "they are worth a lot of money."

He says he's grateful for the gift, but he wants "a piece of the pie" because the photo was posted online "without permission."

An Arizona tourist snapped the photo of the officer presenting new boots to Hillman. It went viral after it was posted on the NYPD's Facebook page.