Watch What This Alabama Police Officer Buys for Alleged Shoplifter

— -- Officer William Stacy encountered a woman who had allegedly attempted to shoplift food but didn't ticket her. Instead, he bought her the item she was intending to steal.

The rookie policeman was working his weekend shift in Tarrant, Alabama, Dec. 6 when he got a call about an alleged shoplifter at a local store.

"I was dispatched to Dollar General who said they had a shoplifter," Stacy, 23, told ABC News this morning. "When I arrived on the scene I confronted her. She said her sorry and was honest about what she did."

Rather than making Johnson pay for the alleged petty crime, Stacy had her wait outside in the parking lot while he bought a dozen eggs for her to take home to the children.

"I can't tell you how many times she said thank you," Stacy said. "She even started crying and asked me for a hug. She tried to pay me for the eggs with the little bit of money that she did have, but I wouldn't take it. I told her the best way for her to repay me was for her to never shoplift again."

A fellow shopper recorded Stacy's act of kindness and shared it on Facebook. Since then, the video has gotten over 500,000 hits. Since news spread of Stacy's kind gesture, the Tarrant Police Department has been flooded with calls from strangers who want to help Johnson and others who are less fortunate.

"I can’t believe that such a small simple gesture got this big," he said. "If it was the same circumstance, I wouldn’t turn away somebody who was trying to help their kids in a time of need."