BEL AIR, Md. — A quick-moving storm dropped plenty of trees in the Cool Spring neighborhood of Bel Air last week, including some in Anthony Naglieri’s yard.
“I saw it raining, but I didn’t know it was that windy,” said Naglieri, “We also had other trees in the back. We have these pine trees that the tops came off of.”
When Harford County Sheriff’s deputies came out to assess the damage, they also found the high winds had dropped this 20-foot pole complete with an American flag.
It was that moment a neighbor captured Deputies First Class Anthony Leppert and Matthew Elliott in a candid, respectful moment as they gathered up and secured the stars and stripes.
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“The first thing that went through my mind was they didn’t just bother to pick it up,” said Naglieri, “They actually folded it in the style, which you see the military do, which really made me happy to see that happen.”
Those images shared on the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page have widely drawn rave reviews in spite of the deputies’ modesty over their actions.
“I was pretty happy to see a lot of good, a lot of happy people,” said Elliott, “but there’s not a doubt in my mind, while I appreciate the recognition, any one of us from the agency would have done the same exact thing if they had that opportunity."
No, it’s not necessarily taught in the academy, but it’s a trait that draws the praise of the county’s top cop, Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler.
“It’s touching and it warms the heart. That’s just the men and women of this office and it’s what police officers across the country do every single day,” said Gahler, “but I could not be more proud as sheriff of what I watched.”
