In a story that has made international headlines, a teenager who wore the shirt and tie that a Toronto police officer bought for him after he allegedly attempted to steal them for a job interview has been hired.
Const. Niran Jeyanesan thought he was responding to a routine shoplifting all last week at a Walmart in the city’s north end. The 18-year-old who had allegedly attempted to steal some clothes had picked out a long-sleeved shirt, a tie and a pair of socks. He told the officers they were meant for a job interview.
Jeyanesan said the teen told him he didn’t have the clothes he thought would land the “service industry position” he had applied for, reported the Toronto Star.
He said his father had fallen ill and he wanted to help provide.
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“He was very remorseful, very ashamed,” Jeyanesan said of the teen at the time. “I could see that this is truly a mistake and this person wanted a chance at life.”
Jeyanesan decided to purchase the shirt and tie for the teenager, who left the police station without charges following questioning. He also referred the teenager’s father to a job.
Police spokesperson Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook said the teenager called Jeyanesan, who gave the teen his number, and let him know that the outfit worked — he landed the position and starts work on Monday.
“There was already a sense of pride and admiration that I had toward the officer’s actions to begin with,” Douglas-Cook said. “(It) just added to it that much more when I heard the end result of how his actions have paid off thus far.”
