Photo of Indiana police officer helping boy tie shoelaces goes viral

FORT WAYNE, IN -- A photo of a police officer helping tie a young boy's shoes is going viral on Facebook.

Melissa Caballero snapped the photo of the officer when she saw him stop to talk to two kids walking the street in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The officer then got out of his car and helped one of the boy tie his shoes.

"I got my phone out immediately to take a picture because that's something I've never personally witnessed," Caballero told WANE-TV.

She then posted the photo on Facebook with a thank you message to the officer, later identified as Ricky Howard.

"Thank you for showing our youth that cops aren't always the bad guys they are made out to be," Caballero said. "Not only did you help that child, you impacted others. Believe me, more people saw that than you realize."