Little girl sees officer eating alone, joins him for 'best dinner date ever'

HINGHAM, Massachusetts – Touching surveillance footage from a Massachusetts Panera Bread store shows a young girl befriending a police officer who was eating alone.

"When a new four-year-old friend we just met wants to sit with us on a dinner break," the Hingham Police Department wrote in a Facebook post. "A very adorable and very outgoing Lillian with Sgt. Steven Dearth having the best dinner date ever."



In a later post, featuring a photo of the duo, the Hingham Police Department wrote, "It means a lot to police officers when people say hi, especially when children approach us. Four-year-old Lillian came up to Sgt. Steven Dearth tonight to say hi and wanted to sit with him for dinner break. Of course, we gave her a junior police officer sticker and had the best dinner date. She even asked to have a play date 'in a few days."'



Lillian was at the restaurant with her parents and younger brother when she decided to take a seat at Sgt. Dearth's table, according to ABC News.  Lillian and her father also got a little "thank you" gift after the meal – a tour of Dearth's police car.

Hingham is a town located along Boston Harbor, on the south shore of Massachusetts.