VIDEO: Woman thanks officers at RNC protest site

A woman wiped away tears after shaking the hands of nearly three dozen law enforcement officers in downtown Cleveland Thursday night.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol Troopers were watching over protesters for the RNC when a man starting screaming at them, calling them pigs. The troopers sat silent as other people in the crowd watched.

A few moments later, people started coming forward to shake the troopers’ hands and thank them for their service.

Kristen, a Cleveland native, said she couldn’t stand by and do nothing. She shook each officer’s hand and thanked them, giving the final officer a hug. 

Kristen’s father was a Sheriff’s Deputy for Cuyahoga County, Ohio and she currently is a hiring manager for a security firm.

“It could have been one of my employees,” she said, wiping away tears.

“I couldn’t in my heart do that to those officers. You don’t know them. They could be your brother, sister, uncle or father.”