The two met in the most difficult of circumstances, but for a police officer and a boy in Oklahoma, it was a moment that changed both of their lives forever.
Poteau Police Officer Jody Thompson was responding to a child abuse call in 2015 when he met John, then 8 years old, KFSM reported. The boy was starved and placed in a barrel with his hands and feet bound by rope, officers said. The boy's body was covered in bruises, police chief Stephen Fruen told KFSM.
Police said John’s biological parents were responsible for the abuse.
Thompson took John to the hospital and stayed by his side during his recovery, KFSM reported.
Thompson and his wife adopted John and his baby sister.
John, a straight-A student in the gifted and talented program, told KFSM that his adopted father is "the reason why I'm here right now."
Thompson was honored Monday by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation for his actions in the case.
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