Photo Of Deputy Waiting At Bus Stop With Senior Tugs At Internet Heartstrings

VICTORVILLE (CBSLA.com) – The image is a simple one, yet powerful. And touching.

An officer and a gentleman in a wheelchair were sitting together at a Victorville bus stop Thursday.

The image piqued Veronica Rogers' curiosity.

"I took note, and I'm like what's going on? I hope there's not a problem," passerby Rogers told KCAL9's Crystal Cruz.

Rogers drove off wondering what was up with this cop stop, photographed by passerby John Haston.

"It looked like the deputy was sitting on the bench talking to this gentleman like he was his friend," said Haston.

A lot of people these days have their cameras out and ready to catch something cool or controversial on camera.

Deputy Nathan Sims was caught doing something else: just being nice.

"I asked him if he needed a ride on the bus and he said, yeah, just needed some help getting over here. He said that he's having trouble moving with his legs," said Sims.

The two sat on the bench together for 40 minutes in 100-degree temperature, just talking and laughing. Shooting the little breeze there was. When the bus showed up, Sims stayed to help wheel the man on board.

"I always stress that we're people first then officers second," Sims said.

Haston sent an email to Sims' boss and wrote he "enjoyed scenes like this." The pictures went viral.

"I didn't know it was going on but I'm glad, just so that my partners and everybody as a whole can benefit from it," Sims says.

Haston also questioned in his letter. "Where are the news cameras when these kind of services are rendered?"

Cruz asked Sims why he is always smiling. It's clear he loves the job.

"Absolutely," Sims says.

One cop stop gone viral for all the right reasons.