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Provo cops go above and beyond to help elderly, disabled victim of domestic violence

Posted at 9:44 PM, Mar 01, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-01 23:44:00-05

PROVO, Utah -- Two police officers in Provo went above and beyond recently to help a disabled victim of domestic violence who was left stranded in her home without food.

“We deal with tragedy all the time, unfortunately, it's part of our job," said Officer Lauren Loch.

Loch grew up wanting to help others, so for her a police badge was the perfect fit. Recently she responded to a domestic violence call where a husband had assaulted his wife at an apartment in Provo.

Officer Loch got there to see the victim was a wheelchair-bound, elderly amputee.

“She was elderly, she was disabled, she can't fend for herself; there's literally nothing she could do,” Officer Loch said.

Police say the woman's husband not only assaulted the woman, but also left her stranded in the apartment--taking her phone, money and all the food in the house.

“He left, he just left her there,” Officer Loch said. “That's when we kind of realized, well, how is she going to get more food? She doesn't have a way to get there.”

That's when Officer Loch and Officer Joshua Coombs made a stop.

“We ended up going to the grocery store and getting some food for her so she would have something to eat for the next couple days until she could get more help,” Officer Loch said.

The pair filled up a cart, paying for the food out of officer Loch's own pocket.

“She was obviously going to need some help, she couldn't do it by herself,” Loch said.

The two delivered food to the woman, who was hurt and left with nothing.

“She was extremely grateful and it was great,” Officer Loch said.

But those in law enforcement say what these two did happens all the time

“If you follow them long enough you'll see them buying coffee for people who are cold and helping them get where they need to go, taking care of people who have genuine needs,” said Sgt. Brian Taylor with Provo Police Department.

Loch said it's all part of the job.

“I love this job, and I got into it to chase drugs, to combat bad guys, to deal with criminal justice issues: But when I’m able to serve the people that I work for, to serve the people that I love, it's amazing,” Officer Loch said.

Support is available 24/7 in Utah for those dealing with domestic violence. Visit the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition online or call 1-800-897-5465 for resources and assistance. In an emergency, dial 911.