[Work in progress]
Overview
NYPD Cop Buys Homeless Man Boots refers to New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Larry DePrimo’s act of generosity toward a shoeless man in November of 2012.
Background
On November 27th, 2012, the official NYPD Facebook page posted a photograph of a police officer kneeling in front of a shoeless man. The caption contained an account by Arizona resident Jennifer Foster, who claimed she heard the officer offer the man a pair of boots as a gift. Over the course of the next six months, the post received over 617,000 likes, 218,000 shares and 48,500 comments.
Notable Developments
Online Reaction
The same day the photo was posted on Facebook, Redditor fett4ever reposted it to the /r/pics[2] subreddit, where it received over 13,900 up votes and 580 comments in the following four months.
News Media Coverage
On November 28th, 2012, The New York Times[4] published an article about the photograph, identifying the police officer as Larry DePrimo of Long Island. In the next several days, the story was covered by several news site, including Jezebel,[6] The Daily What,[7] People,[8] Gothamist,[9]NPR[10] and CBS.[11]
Today Show Appearance
Deprimo appeared on the Today Show on November 30th, 2012, where he (shown below).
Homeless Man Identity Revealed
On December 2nd, The New York Times published an article identifying the homeless man as 54-year-old Jeffrey Hillman from South Plainfield, New Jersey and reported that he had been seen on the Upper West Side without shoes on. When asked about the boots, Hillman responded that he had hidden them:
“Those shoes are hidden. They are worth a lot of money. I could lose my life.”
Hillman was also quoted saying that he wanted a “piece of the pie” since the photograph had been spread around the world.
On December 3rd, 2012, the NY Daily News[3] published an article revealing that the Hillman was not homeless and had been living in a Bronx apartment for the past year.
Search Interest
External References
[1]CBS Local – Picture Of NYPD Officer Giving Barefoot Man Boots Goes Viral
[2]Reddit – NY Cop giving a brand new pair boots to a shoeless homeless man in subway
[3]NY Daily News – Barefoot homeless man immortalized in photos isnt homeless
[4]New York Times – Photo of Officer Giving Boots to Barefoot Man Warms Hearts Online
[5]New York Times – Homeless Manis Grateful for Officers Boots
[6]Jezebel – New York Police Officer Buys Shoes for Barefoot
[7]The Daily What – Restored Faith in Humanity
[8]People – New York City Police Officer Buys Shoes for Homeless Man
[9]Gothamist – NYPD Officer Secretly Photographed Doing Good
[11]CBS Local – Picture Of NYPD Officer Giving Barefoot Man Boots Goes Viral