Little girl's unexpected gift had police officer nearly in tears

'Tis the season for giving!

Gulfport, Mississippi officer Josh McConnell police officer said he had to fight back tears as a young girl presented him with a new deputy to help keep him safe.

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McConnell recounted the touching moment in a Facebook post on Tuesday. Since making the post, McConnell's story has garnered dozens of likes, shares, and encouraging comments. According to the post, McConnell was on patrol when a little girl who appeared to be about 3 or 4 years old came up to him holding a teddy bear. McConnell said after asking what he could do for her, the little girl handed him the bear, with a little encouragement from her mother.

%shareLinks-quote="​I tried to give it back but she refused. She looked up at me and said it was to keep me safe. I said thank you while trying to keep my voice from cracking." type="quote" author="Josh McConnell" authordesc="Police Officer" isquoteoftheday="false"%

McConnell then placed the bear in his passenger seat for the little girl to see, and uploaded a second post to Facebook of his partner riding shotgun.

"Just wish I could have spent a little more time to talk with the family and get a picture. When the call was over, they had already left the area," McConnell told ABC on Wednesday morning.

McConnell said the girl's mother told him they have a law enforcement officer in the family, and she always hears friends and family members telling him to be safe. Now, McConnell has a guardian bear to protect him, and the memory of the little girl's kindness to treasure forever.

Keep paying it forward! Watch this police officer perform a random act of kindness:

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