Indiana police officer helps 12-year-old boy run lemonade stand, matches proceeds
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Every few weeks, Jaelynn Wilson and his 4-year-old brother sell lemonade, punch and snacks at their stand in their Indiana neighborhood.
When their mom Tina first saw South Bend Officer Ron Glon pull his police cruiser up, she initially believed he was going to shut them down.
"I thought, 'Oh, we're in trouble,'" Wilson told WNDU.
But the officer instead surprised her and her 12-year-old son Jaelynn by telling them he wanted to help.
“Me and Jaeylnn are going to be waiting on people, collecting money, serving drinks, and I’m going to match 100 percent of what we take in,” Glon reportedly told Jaelynn’s grandmother.
Together, the two served customers and poured lemonade in the parking lot.
Jaelynn said Glon "stayed out almost the whole day just helping us."
"It made me feel so good to be able to work with a police officer, because you gotta think, he knows everything that's happening with the George Floyd [protests], the riots," Jaelynn told Fox News. "He has to make sure that he doesn't be one of those cops."
Tina Wilson said she's been teaching her children not to have a negative opinion of police officers.
"We don't want them to judge us because of the color of our skin, but you know, let's not judge them because of their uniform either," Wilson said. "Let's come together and do what we can and just push the bad people out."
Related: 'You’re a hero': Chris Evans sends video message to little boy who saved sister from dog attack
Glon said he wants to make Jaelynn and other children like him comfortable with officers in his town.
"If I could come here and maybe relay that message to him, let him know that he doesn't have to be scared of us, he doesn't have to be worried," Glon said. "He doesn't have to grow up and be worried about the police."
Jaelynn said he knows there are some bad officers out there, but he doesn't let them affect his opinion about police.
“I trust cops,” the boy said. “I know there are things going on... But I've never been scared, I’ve never been frightened. I've always actually loved cops."