A police officer has shared a plea to the public after a three-year-old girl tragically died in front of her, having suffered a cardiac arrest.
PC Jade Hunter took to Twitter to explain what had happened, before asking the public to think twice about judging police officers, saying 'You never know what kind of situation we have just attended and dealt with'.
Hunter, who works for West Yorkshire Police, said that herself and five colleagues had attended a report of a three-year-old female in cardiac arrest.
Advert
"Ambulance were already on scene and I cannot praise them enough for their amazing efforts and professionalism at such a difficult time," she explained in the tweet.
"Unfortunately she didn't make it and my heart and deepest sympathies go out to her family and friends."
Hunter then went on to use the incident as an example of the many difficult experiences police officers and other emergency services workers have to go through - and that sometimes they might need a moment to collect their thoughts.
Advert
"Jobs like this are especially difficult to deal with, I cannot imagine the pain her parents and siblings are going through now," Hunter said.
"Being a police officer is not all about catching criminals and this is a side of the job many don't realise we do.
"So next time you pull up at a local coffee shop or fast food restaurant and see a couple of police cars, please don't post on social media that we're 'having a tea break' or 'skiving'.
"You never know what kind of situation we have just attended and dealt with, sometimes we need 5 or 10 minutes to gather our thoughts.
Advert
"The public's safety is our number one priority and it's often that after jobs like these we are right back out there dealing with the next situation that comes in. However, we're only human too. Please don't penalise us for having feelings."
While some people commented to say it's simply what she 'signed up for' and criticised Hunter for using the incident 'to highlight the issue of when officers take a break in the community', most people had nothing but praise for her heartfelt message.
One person wrote: "So upsetting, I hope you and your colleagues are okay! Can't imagine how awful and heartbreaking that must have been for you! You guys are amazing."
Advert
Another wrote: "Jade, I'm so sorry - but a big thank you to you and your colleagues for all the hard work you do protecting and helping us all out, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I really do appreciate the work you all do and I'm thankful! People like me look up to you. Thank you again."
Empathising, a third commented: "You do an amazingly diverse job in often difficult circumstances. I can't imagine how the vast majority would cope."
Definitely something to think about next time you see a couple of coppers having a mocha in Costa...
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/Jade HunterTopics: uk news