Homeless Man Who Received Boots From NYPD Officer, Not Homeless [VIDEO]
You knew that humanity still exists when NYPD officer Lawrence DePrimo bought a pair of boots for a barefoot homeless man. The officer was caught on camera doing what he said, was the right thing to do.
Ever since then, officer Deprimo has been the topic of national and local news. The now famous photo was even posted on the NYPD's Facebook page. It was the right thing to do and if we all did things like that, we would have homeless or starving people anywhere on earth. However all the publicity has uncovered a startling revelation and that's the fact that the "barefoot homeless man" the officer bought boots for, Jeffrey Hillman isn't homeless at all.
Turns out the Plainfield, NJ, native has a stable home. The news was revealed after the New York Times seen him still walking around barefoot. When asked where his boots were, he simple replied that they were in a safe place because they could cost him his life.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Shortly there after, NBC New York looked into the matter and spoke to the city's homeless services commissioner, Seth Diamond, who said that Mr. Hillman indeed had "stable housing." Mr. Diamond said that the agency has been working with Mr. Hillman "for years." An army veteran, Mr. Hillman was homeless originally until 2011, when he got an apartment in the Bronx through Veteran Affairs.
Seth Diamond reported that Mr. Hillman's rent is actually paid by "a lifetime voucher for homeless veterans and his Social Security income." He also said that Mr. Hillman has some serious mental problems, but in spite of that the city's homeless services will continue to work with him despite his history of refusing help.