Denzel Washington helps distressed homeless man in peril from oncoming traffic, comforts him and gets him food

On Thursday, May 21, Denzel Washington was seen doing some heroic work as he helped a homeless man in distress. According to a report by TMZ, the 65-year-old actor helped the unidentified man in the street when he was driving in West Hollywood at around 1 pm.

The tabloid news website also obtained footage of the incident in which Washington, who was wearing a protective face mask, was seen getting out of his car to help the homeless man who looked distressed and in some peril with the oncoming traffic. He took the man to safety and stayed with him after the police arrived. Despite the risk of the coronavirus since the man was not wearing any mask, he comforted him and also gave him something to eat and drink.

When the police arrived, they talked to the man while Washington stayed there with him to give him comfort. As per reports, police initially detained the man for unknown reasons, but later he was released.

However, it was not the first time, ‘The Equalizer’ star’s name has been in the news for his kind deeds. Years ago, he helped actor Omari Hardwick who became close with the Washington family while working as a substitute teacher and football coach at a high school attended by his eldest son.

During his appearance on ‘The Real’ in 2016, Hardwick said: “They gave me shelter when I did not have a place to stay,” referring to when a television series he had been cast in did not work out and he went broke. He added that at that time the screen legend and his wife Pauletta Washington came forward to help him as he was living in his car and “showering at the YMCA.”

“Pauletta Washington paid, and this is the first time I’ve ever probably said it on camera, she paid for my car, you know, to not be taken back. They paid for it. She called and said, ‘I got to get down Denzel’s approval first, but he was like ‘all good,’” the 46-year-old actor said, adding: “When I finally paid him that check back, it was big. They framed that check.”

In addition, an earlier report claimed that Washington was raising money to help a charity that had helped him through his childhood. The actor partnered with the ‘Boys and Girls Clubs of America’, a nonprofit organization, to help the community by auctioning off a trip to the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film — 'The Equalizer 2' — in exchange for donations made to the charity.

“The Boys and Girls Club helped make me the man that I am today. The staff at the Mt. Vernon Boys and Girls Club invested their time in developing me and that is why I have been the National Spokesperson for Boys and Girls Clubs of America for more than 20 years,” Washington told PEOPLE in July 2018.

At the time, it was said that the winner of the auction would receive an all taken care of trip to Los Angeles. It would involve a two-night stay at a "swanky hotel," as per Washington, including two tickets to the premiere of his upcoming movie and an invite to the after-party. There was also a special meet and greet opportunity with the actor included.