DRPA officer gifts homeless man with new pair of shoes

LINDENWOLD, N.J. (WPVI) -- An area police officer is getting recognition after a video capturing his act of kindness went viral.

Delaware River Port Authority police officer Kenya Joyner was patrolling at the Lindenwold high-speed line station Nov. 7 when a New Jersey transit bus driver asked him to remove a disruptive passenger who wasn't wearing shoes.

Joyner thought he recognized the man, who he'd seen lying on a bench earlier that day.

"I asked him, I said, 'Where are your shoes?' So he hesitated and it appeared that he became embarrassed, and in a very low mumble he stated he doesn't have any," said Joyner.

Instead of giving the man a hard time, Joyner gave him a hand.

He went across the street to a Payless shoe store and, with his own money, he bought the man a brand-new pair of size 12 boots.

"It was a man that was down on his luck. He simply wanted to ride a bus, but he couldn't afford shoes to ride a bus, so it just seemed like the right thing to do," said Joyner.

The video has received more than 2 million hits. Those who know Joyner tell us his actions come as no surprise.

"Oh that's him, that's him. I'm not surprised at all, not at all. He's a caring person," said Diana Murphy of Hammonton, New Jersey.

"If you know the officer, you know that he doesn't look for any recognition," said Lt. Johnny Santiago.

The son of a retired Camden cop, Joyner has been with the DRPA police force for eight years and said he was raised to look out for the less fortunate.

"The thing is, a lot of officers have done what I have done and more," said Joyner. "I just happen to be caught on camera."

He hasn't seen him since that day, but Joyner tells us the shoeless man told him he appreciated his new boots and the kind gesture - and now the rest of us can appreciate it, too.