LAPD Officer Goes Above And Beyond To Help Homeless Man

CANOGA PARK (CBSLA.com) — To say that Bill Davy was down on his luck is an understatement.

He lost his mom, an apartment they shared and was about to lose his car, out of which he had been living for more than a year in Canoga Park.

"That was really pretty much the last thing that I had of my mom was our car," Davy said.

His car registration tag had expired by more than three years. When Davy learned late last month that the parking lot where he was camping out was kicking him out, he panicked and was afraid to drive it.

When Officer Duke Dao, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley, learned what Davy was up against, he offered to help instead of impounding Davy's car.

"It's where I grew up," the officer said as his eyes welled up with tears. "Seeing Bill like that, it really touched me."

Besides connecting Davy with transitional housing for the homeless, Officer Dao and the LAPD set up an account to raise money to get Davy's car registered again. It would have cost him more than $800.

In 24 hours, the fundraising site collected more than $1,100.

"I checked his vest to see if there was any indentation if he had wings tucked in. He's truly an angel," Davy said.

When the officer told Davy that his registration renewal fees will be paid for, Davy was lost for words and broke down in tears of joy.

"He calls me his brother, and I call him my brother, too. I didn't know I had a brother in the police department, but I do now," Davy said.

Dao was just as moved by the good news. "You want people to smile. You want people to move on. It's a great feeling. I can't describe it," the officer said.

Davy now hopes he will be able to receive Supplemental Security Income benefits so he won't have to live out of his car again.