Photo of Halifax cop chatting with panhandler gets much love on social media

HALIFAX – Social media users in Halifax are swooning over a candid photo of a police officer and panhandler described as "awesome" and "heartwarming."

The photo shows a uniformed officer sitting casually on the sidewalk with his legs outstretched, chatting with a panhandler on Spring Garden Road.

Federal worker Bruno Baurin snapped a photo of the scene during his lunch break on Thursday.

Baurin says he was so struck by seeing two different walks of life on equal ground that he felt compelled to share it on social media.

Halifax Regional Police identified the officer as community officer Const. Shawn Currie, who last year wrote up a fake ticket for a three-year-old boy who was "illegally stopped" on his plastic motorcycle.

Insp. Lindsay Hernden says police have a close relationship with many of the panhandlers in the downtown area and know they are on the streets for a variety of reasons.