Black cop helps white man wearing swastika shirt during KKK rally in South Carolina

A poignant photo showing a powerful act of kindness in the face of hate is going viral.

The image shows a black police chief in South Carolina helping a white man wearing a swastika t-shirt at a Ku Klux Klan demonstration.

KKK members descended upon South Carolina's Statehouse Saturday to protest the removal of the Confederate flag.

Tensions were high and many racially charged slurs could be heard.

In the midst of it all, a man wearing a swastika t-shirt started suffering from heatstroke.

And despite the man's beliefs, Leroy Smith, the director of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, helped him to safety.

The picture has been shared all over social media, with people both praising and condemning Smith for his act of humanity.