A routine traffic stop turned into a reunion of sorts between a New Jersey state trooper and the retired cop who delivered him 27 years ago.
On June 1, Trooper Michael Patterson stopped Matthew Bailly in Kingwood Township for having tinted windows.
During their interaction, Bailly told Patterson he was retired from the Piscataway police force. That piqued Patterson’s interest since it’s his hometown.
But that connection got even closer within a few minutes.
When Patterson mentioned the street he grew up on, Bailly remembered delivering a baby there as a rookie cop 27 years ago and remembered the style of the house and that the baby was named Michael.
That’s when Patterson extended his hand and introduced himself formally.
“My name is Michael Patterson, sir,” he told Bailly. “Thank you for delivering me.”
The two took a photo together at the scene of the traffic stop. Patterson later brought his mother to Bailly’s home, where the two cops took another photo. Both pictures, along with the story, were posted on Facebook by the New Jersey State Police.
The state police wrote in the post: “They all felt this story was so uplifting, it needed to be shared, and we agree! After all, as a police officer, you don’t always get a chance to have a moment like this with people you once helped in your career!”
It turns out Patterson may have also helped Bailly. Instead of giving him a ticket for his tinted windows, Patterson advised him to change the glass, according to the BBC.