Houston police act of kindness caught on camera

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- If a picture is worth a thousand words, this one may leave you speechless.

A Houston police officer was snapped washing the feet of a nearly blind homeless man, helping him clean up a few weeks ago.

"You gotta have a heart for it. You gotta have a heart for this kind of work," explained Sgt. Steve Wick, who is the officer seen in the picture cutting the man's toenails.

"To get your toenails cut will make your life of walking around a whole lot better. He couldn't do it for himself," he explained.

The officers spotted him on the streets downtown and the man was sick and had an accident. They brought him to the Sobering Center, where they washed him off and he took his first shower in years.

"He showered for about 45 minutes. It was great. He was washing his hair and everything," Wick said.

Sgt. Wick wasn't working alone. Senior Police Officer Colin Mansfield was by his side that day because their work is a team effort.

"It's just helping your fellow man and reaching out to your community. I think this is how we serve the community best," Mansfield explained.

The homeless outreach team is now helping the man get set up with eye doctor visits and other social services as they try to find him a permanent home outside of a shelter.