HOUSTON — The story of an unlikely bodyguard and his unexpected protectee is going viral.
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McKinley Zoellner, 16, showed he has the honor and protective streak that many adults don’t have.
Zoellner approached Deputy Tommi Kelley as she pumped gas at a Texas gas station, asking to watch her, making sure she was safe, KHOU reported.
“I was right there, kind of in front of her,” Zoellner said. “I just watched and made sure no one was coming, making sure nothing was going to happen to her.”
It wasn’t an easy or comfortable watch.
“The poor kid was getting rained on,” Kelley said. “It was pouring. After a full tank of gas, he’s still getting rained on.”
After a quick hug of thanks, the pair snapped a selfie together. The photo has been seen more than 215,000 times since Kelley posted it to her Facebook page Thursday.
“I hope people understand that we would risk their lives for them,” Kelley told KHOU. “To be nervous having to pump gas is sickening to me. So when you have someone that is so young and mature and thoughtful and came up to help, I was very impressed with him.
“I was just trying to do something good for someone, but people found it, and it turned into a little more than I expected,” Zoellner said.
Last month, a Texas sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed as he filled up his patrol car near Houston. He was killed instantly.
Shannon Miles was charged, suspected of the killing of Deputy Darren Goforth.
Goforth left behind a wife and two children. His funeral was held Friday, NPR reported.