Police officer helps Navy vet after he was robbed of all belongings after leaving Navy

A Police officer assisted a US Navy veteran whose personal belongings were stolen from his car after he had recently moved to Houston, Texas.

Navy veteran Tommy Broadnax of Memphis, Tennessee -who had spent the last three years stationed in Japan with the US Navy- had recently moved to Houston when he received the worst “welcome to Houston” gift he could think of.

“My car was busted into,” Broadnax said. “All of my things was gone except one bag. It felt like a dream, it did not feel real.”

While Broadnax was looking for a place of his own, he had been couch-surfing with local friends, keeping the bulk of his belongings in his car. When he awoke Wednesday morning, he discovered that his passenger side window was broken and three of his four duffel bags were stolen.

“My clothes, my shoes, my military clothes and my civilian clothes are all gone,” he said. “Even my uniform,” Broadnax lamented, saying now he will have no uniforms or awards to show his future kids and grandkids. “The only thing I can show them now is pictures.”

To make matters worse, Broadnax’s work shoes -which were required for his new job as a security guard- were stolen as well, meaning he risked missing a day of work for being out of uniform.

Fortunately for Broadnax, he had some unexpected help from a Sergeant in the Houston Police Department, who was assigned to the incident.

“When he was talking to me he felt like family,” said Broadnax. “He even helped me out with my shoes. He called me and told me, ‘I’m going to get off at 2 p.m., I’m going to buy you a pair of shoes.”

Broadnax said the Sergeant bought him the specific model of shoe, which cost about $80.

While the Sergeant wished to remain anonymous, many in HPD said this act was a significant one.

“Our hearts went out to him because he is a veteran and he served our country,” said Lt. Terry Horton. “It’s Veteran’s Day next Friday so we thought we would give him a hand and help in any way that we can. This is a way for us to give back to him in a way he’s given back to his country.”

According to Click2Houston, Broadnax says that he’s grateful for the Sergeant’s generosity, adding that the act really turned a bad situation around, even if only a little.

“I feel like if there’s more people like him in Houston, then I’m going to stay here,” he said. “Just because of him, he made it feel like home.”