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Officer pays for homeless family's car insurance

By Zachary Hansen, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Two Jonesboro police officers helped pay for a family's car insurance and lunch after a traffic stop Tuesday. (Photo: Jonesboro Police Department)

By Zachary Hansen, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

JONESBORO, Ga. — A Jonesboro police officer pulled over a van for having no insurance.

But after the officer found out the family inside was homeless, she decided not to write a citation. Instead, she wrote a check and paid for their car insurance.

Officer Frances Spencer told AJC.com that Rayshell and Joe Blakney, along with four of their six young children, were driving Tuesday on Tara Boulevard to spend their last night at a local motel before resorting to living out of their van. Their two oldest children were in school at the time.

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After Spencer and Officer Brian Waters tried to reach Rayshell Blakney’s family members to see if they could assist with insurance, Spencer said she took matters into her own hands.

"I knew they needed it," Spencer said. "There was nobody else to do it, and to have the four kids with them — I just couldn't put them out of their car since that was going to be their shelter soon."

Earlier today OIC Spencer pulled over a vehicle for no insurance. After speaking with the driver and passenger she...

Posted by City of Jonesboro, Ga Police Department on Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Spencer said a friend of hers set up a GoFundMe page to help the family of eight find stable housing. As of Saturday afternoon, the page had raised more than $4,400. According to the fundraising page, Joe Blakney is a Marine veteran with a full-time job.

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