Little Girl Joins Police Officer Eating Alone At Panera In 'Cutest Date Ever'

With all of the bad press police receive, it's a nice change of pace to hear about a heartwarming interaction between a cop and his community. Sgt. Steven Dearth, a police officer with the Hingham Police Department just outside Boston, was eating dinner alone at Panera when he was approached by an unexpected guest: four-year-old Lillian, who sat down to eat dinner with Officer Dearth.

Dearth said she was chatty and outgoing and even wanted to arrange a "playdate" with her new friend in a few days.

You can see video of the adorable exchange below in a video provided by Panera Bread:

"It means a lot to police officers when people say hi, especially when children approach us," the video caption reads. "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."