NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Pretty much everyone around North Tonawanda knows Officer Daniel Mahoney Jr. and now, he's known outside N.T. as well.
"I posted that picture on Facebook, and literally within hours, it was shared thousands of times," Steven Mineo, the owner of Sticky Face BBQ, said.
Mineo snapped a picture of Mahoney right outside his restaurant. It shows the officer talking to a man who, according to Mineo, was sobbing and asking for help with a drinking problem.
"I was talking to a friend, basically," said Officer Mahoney.
But he didn't stop there. Mahoney found out the man hadn't eaten all day.
"So then I opened up my dinner and we ate my dinner," said Officer Mahoney.
"I just thought that was way over and above the call of duty," Mineo said.
Which is something Mineo said he sees in all the officers serving North Tonawanda.
"They're just a great group of guys," Mineo said.
"At least 75% of the guys I work with would have done the same thing," said Mahoney.
Now, people across the country are recognizing Officer Mahoney.
"I got a call from a gentleman in Florida, and he saw it on the news, and he was touched by it. He thought it was great. He asked me if he could by a $20 gift certificate to buy officer Mahoney dinner," said Mineo.
But instead of accepting it, Mahoney told Mineo to use the gift certificates to feed dinner to someone in need. He said giving back to the community is why he chose his job.
"I like making people feel like the police are part of the community. That they're not just there to bully people and arrest people," said Mahoney.
