A Dallas-area police officer is being hailed for his compassionate response to a man he stopped for a traffic violation. The Plano, Texas, officer, who wishes to remain anonymous, pulled over 25-year-old Hayden Carlo because the car he was driving had an expired registration. But as reported by CBS News, Carlo explained to the policeman that he was struggling financially and he could not afford to register his vehicle and feed his family, so he let the registration lapse.

“I said there's no explanation for why I haven't done it, except I don't have the money,” recalled Carlo. “It was either feed my kids or get my registration done.”

After Carlo's explanation, the officer stepped back to his squad car, coming back with a citation for the lapsed registration. But that wasn't all. When Carlo opened up the ticket, he discovered a $100 bill tucked inside. “I broke down in my car,” Carlos said. “What else could I do?”

Not surprisingly, the officer never told anyone about his act of compassion. But Carlo's grandfather, Billy McIntire, was so moved by policeman's kindness that he wrote a letter to the Plano police department to thank the officer. “I get emotional when we talk about this type of thing,” McIntire told CBS News. “You just don't find that many officers who would do this type of thing.”

A Plano police department spokesman said the officer “told me … this man needed [the money] more than him, and it was the right thing to do.”

CBS News reported that with the $100 gift, Carlo was able to update the registrations on his car and his wife's car, too. “He helped me out when I needed it and I appreciate that,” Carlo said. “I'll never forget that man. It definitely restored my faith in God.”

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Photo: NYPD's Facebook page