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DPD Donates Gifts To Families In Need During Sergeant Santa Event

(CBS DETROIT)- Like many this year, Shamere Armstrong has had it really hard. Thanks to a few good men and women in blue she and her kids will have a Merry Christmas.

"I appreciate them so much, they caught me out the blue and I was happy." said Armstrong

Armstrong is one of 50 families chosen by the Detroit Police Department to receive donated items this Christmas season, as part of the departments annual Sergeant Santa event.

"We've been fortunate to be able to provide some holiday cheer to families across Detroit." said Detroit Police Chief James Craig during a press conference Thursday

Craig says these families were not chosen at random, Armstrong is a single mother of three that suffered a terrible tragedy earlier this year.

"She and her one-year old son was shot with a AK47." says Craig

Armstrong says she was shot 4 times, her son and her child's father once, and she's extremely thankful they all pulled through.

"We all made it, thank God."

Officers say they are the ones out in the neighborhoods seeing tragedies like this occurring, and with Sergeant Santa and other programs they want residents to know they are here to meet their needs.

"We're just trying to make the community and everywhere we go better, for the holidays and for the streets in general." said DPD Officer Lester Johnson as he prepared to deliver gifts

The donated items included toys, clothes, and a few cell phones, all made possible by sponsors and an anonymous donor that gave 20,000 dollars toward the cause.

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