Police in Lilburn, Georgia, played Santa Wednesday, pulling over cars and giving the drivers inside an unexpected surprise.
Officer Vince Difatta watched for drivers violating the law Wednesday, but instead of issuing tickets for minor violations, he gave the drivers $100 in cash.
"At the end of a normal traffic stop the drivers aren't normally too happy," Difatta said. "Today I think they are going to be very happy."
A secret Santa gave Lilburn police $6,000 to hand out, $100 at a time, hoping to add a little happiness to their holidays. It definitely seemed to work.
Sureah Bertram seemed like she was going to cry when she heard the news.
“I'm going to go get my baby a toy for Christmas,” she said. “It really helps.”
Many drivers expressed shock.
“I just cannot believe this,” driver Mool Sankar said.
"So you’re doing better now?" Difatta asked. "Because when I first came up to you, you said you weren't doing so well."
“I'm doing much better now!” Sankar replied.
Several officers spread out for most of the day, surprising driver after driver. The local businessman playing secret Santa declined to be identified. He said he was motivated not just to share the holiday spirit, but because the current conversation about policing in America made creating positive interactions with law enforcement important.
“When you see those blue lights, you just don't know what to expect, but definitely not a Christmas present,” driver Toyosi Olusany said.
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