Mom Who Was Pulled Over by Police Says Traffic Stop ‘Saved My Life’

What began as a tense exchange between a sheriff’s deputy and a motorist during a routine traffic stop in North Carolina turned into a hug and a life-changing moment. 

The Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office shared bodycam footage of Deputy Shawn Singleton pulling over driver Katelyn Ricchini in March, ABC affiliate WSOC and NBC affiliate WRAL reported. At the time, Ricchini was going home after attending church.

In the clip, Singleton told Ricchini, “I stopped you at 61 in a 45,” to which Ricchini responded, “You didn’t put your lights on until after I slowed down. I was going the speed limit.”

“No, but I clocked you at 61 and a 45 I didn’t stop you there,” Singleton said. “So what’s with the attitude? Just curious.”

Ricchini asked the deputy, according to the footage, “I’m not allowed to have bad days?”

“No, everybody is entitled to a bad day,” Singleton responded. “I can understand that completely … but I’m trying to be nice and courteous to you … and I’m getting a lot of heat.”

Ricchini proceeded to tell the deputy that she can’t stand cops, saying, “I come from a background where I don’t do cops.”

After running Ricchini’s license, Singleton was seen returning to the driver and letting her off.

“This is a warning ticket for you to slow down,” he said in the video. “That’s it. No court date, no fines, no nothing. I’ll ask you pay attention to speed limit signs.

When Singleton asked Ricchini if she was okay, she said, “No … the anxiety is killing me. I come from a background. I’m clean and sober now … [but] I’ve always had bad incidents with cops.”

Singleton then asked a crying Ricchini if there was anything he could do, adding, “Do you want to hug?” to which she replied, “Yeah.”

The two then embraced, and Ricchini explained to Singleton that she just moved to North Carolina to get away from an abusive relationship. She left her 5-year-old son behind so that she could get clean and get him back.

“I never hugged a cop before,” Ricchini said in the footage. 

“Don’t lose that fight that’s in you,” Singleton encouraged her. 

Ricchini, who is now 10 months clean, told WSOC that she told Singleton she had been “ready to give up” when she was pulled over that day. “I was actually on my way to probably do something that wasn’t in my best interest,” she said.

She recently reunited with Singleton and introduced the deputy to her son. “Look, this is one of the guys that saved my life,” she said.

Ricchini later told WSOC that Singleton saw her as a person and not an addict. “He saw my heart,” she said. “And he saw that I had potential when so many people had counted me out.”

The Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office shared a Thursday, Sept. 18, Facebook post about WSOC’s report on the heartwarming exchange, writing, “Sometimes a traffic stop isn’t just about enforcing laws — it’s about kindness that changes lives.”

“Recently, Deputy Shawn Singleton had a moment with a mother recovering from a difficult time. What might’ve seemed like just another interaction turned into something she says changed her perspective on law enforcement,” the department shared.

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“Moments like these remind us that being a deputy also means showing humility, building trust, and breaking down barriers to strengthen our relationship with the community through positive interactions that can truly make a difference,” the statement read. 

Singleton declined to comment when PEOPLE contacted the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. Ricchini did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional comment.