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'Everybody knows how much I dislike cops, but...': Officer's incredibly kind gesture goes viral
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A cop and a man he pulled over share a moment of prayer amid tragedy. - photo by Billy Hallowell
When a police officer pulled Mark Ross and a friend over for speeding, Ross knew he was in big trouble.

According to a post on his Facebook page, Ross already had a "petty warrant" for an alleged misdemeanor in Michigan's Wayne County and feared he'd be arrested as a result.

It felt like a hopeless situation, especially considering Ross and a friend were rushing to get to Detroit after learning Ross' 15-year-old sister, Eliza Fletcher, had died.

"At 3 a.m. I got a phone call stating that my sister had been killed in a car accident due to some young dumb punk!" Ross wrote. "I haven't slept and instantly got on the road. Of course we were speeding, trying to get back to Detroit."

When he was pulled over in Ohio, Ross said the cops called authorities in Wayne County to come get him, but they reportedly refused due to the distance.

Police arrested Ross' friend the driver of the vehicle as he reportedly had a suspended license as well as an outstanding warrant, according to KFOR-TV.

But it's what happened next that changed everything.

"I explained to the officer that my sister had died and that I needed to get to my mother ASAP," Ross wrote. "I broke down crying and he saw the sincerity in my cry."

That's when Sgt. David Robison reportedly reached over and began praying over and for Ross' family. And that's not all.

"(Robison) offered to bring me 100 miles further to Detroit because they towed the vehicle," Ross explained. "Everybody knows how much I dislike cops, but I am truly grateful for this guy. He gave me hope."

Despite numerous media reports saying that Robison drove Ross to a coffee shop where he was able to meet up with a cousin, Lt. Robert Sellers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol told The Christian Post that, while the two men shared a prayer, travel assistance fell through.

"Sgt. Robinson and Mr. Ross shared a prayer together and we tried to make arrangements to assist him to get to Michigan, but those arrangements fell through so we didn't drive him to Michigan," Sellers said. "And that's the inconsistency in the stories that got widely reported."

Either way, the kind prayer and gesture had a major impact on Ross; plus, it paints a stark contrast to the tragic clashes and deaths that have unfolded of late between members of the black community and police.

"It was just so overwhelming," Ross told Inside Edition of the experience. "They were trying to help us."

Sellers said the situation which has gone viral since Ross' Facebook post is an example of a cop doing his or her job and going the "extra step," saying his office has received calls and support as a result of the story.

According to Inside Edition, Robison plans to go to the young girl's funeral. A GoFundMe campaign to raise $10,000 for Fletcher's funeral has exceeded the goal, bringing in more than $13,300.
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