Officer Praised After Sending Flowers to Woman She Pulled Over

A Massachusetts police officer who sent flowers to a woman she pulled over for speeding has received a commendation.

Somerville Officer Ashley Catatao on Tuesday received a Beyond the Call of Duty Award from Chief David Fallon for her empathy and professionalism during the Nov. 4 traffic stop.

Catatao pulled over a vehicle driving 40 miles per hour in the 30 mph zone, intending to issue a warning.

She noticed the driver was crying and visibly upset. The Winchester woman explained that she just found out her mother was being placed in hospice end-of-life care.

Catatao says she sent the flowers because she has a mother, is a mother, and never wants to forget that the drivers she pulls over are "real people with real things happening in their lives."