Sometimes, kindness pulls you over when you least expect it.
During a routine traffic stop in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, a sheriff’s deputy didn’t just issue a citation, he said he offered something far more meaningful: a moment of compassion.
Deputy Dustin Byers had pulled over an unnamed man on Highway 21 for speeding, but when the man explained he was on his way to a funeral and “was having a tough day,” the conversation quickly shifted. “To top it off, he couldn’t get his tie right,” the sheriff’s office shared in a now-viral Facebook post.
So, on the side of the road, Deputy Byers said he did what good humans do, help. A photo shared by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office shows Byers patiently tying the man’s necktie, offering a small gesture that’s left a big impression.
“REMINDER: compassion still exists, even on the side of the road,” the post reads. Titled A Traffic Stop Comes With a Side of Compassion, the post has been shared more than 2,000 times as of June 25, drawing praise from people across the country.
“This right here is a powerful reminder that kindness knows no uniform, no badge, and no boundaries,” one Facebook user said in a comment. “In a moment that could have simply been about a traffic stop, Deputy Byers chose compassion, turning frustration into dignity and stress into support.”
Another said, “It’s the small gestures that leave the biggest impact. Thank you, Deputy Byers, for showing that humanity still lives on the roadside, in a helping hand, and in a tied knot.”
The sheriff’s office later confirmed that yes, the man did receive a speeding citation, but it’s clear the real takeaway from this roadside encounter was something you can’t measure in miles per hour.
