Sheriff’s deputies in Texas are getting well-deserved praise on social media after paying for the hotel room of a family who could not afford one during the extreme winter storm, as reported by Fox News.
Winter storms covering large swaths of the country have brought arctic temperatures to Texas, causing power outages for 4 million residents across the state, NBC News reported.
Officers from the the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s Crime Reduction Unit responded to a call from a local hotel that said a man was trying to get a room because of the freezing temperatures and power outages, but could not afford one, according to a Facebook post from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Upon arrival, the Sheriff’s deputies discovered that the man had his family and small children with him, and proceeded to pay for the hotel room out of their own pockets so the family could get some warmth, the Sheriff’s Office post said. (RELATED: What Texas’ Blackout Crisis Says About America’s Energy Future)
Facebook users were quick to commend the officers by responding to the post, which currently has over 300 comments, 1.5 thousand shares, and 5.1 thousand likes and reactions.
The winter storms have claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since Sunday, according to the Washington Post. More than half of the deaths, 30, were Texans.