Homeless Man Who Got Boots From NYPD Office Has An Apartment

The man who received a brand new pair of books from a New York City police officer has an apartment in the Bronx according to WNBC TV.

Jeffrey Hillman, who is originally from South Plainfield, was homeless until 2009 when he moved into an apartment in the Bronx that Veterans Affairs helped him get. “He does have stable housing,” Seth Diamond, New York City's homeless services commissioner, told WNBC. “We’ve worked with Mr. Hillman for years.”

Diamond says his neighbors called 311 several weeks ago about a shoeless man standing in the rain.

Hillman, who continues to panhandle in the same spot in Times Square, has yet to be seen with the new pair of boots presented to him by Officer Lawrence Deprimo.

Hillman says he’s grateful for the gift, but he wants “a piece of the pie” because the photo was posted online “without permission.”

An Arizona tourist snapped the photo of the officer presenting new boots to Hillman. It went viral after it was posted on the NYPD’s Facebook page.