Polish Police Officer Meets Former Polish President Lech Walesa At Connecticut Service Stop

A Connecticut state trooper was in for a surprise on Wednesday when he discovered that a vehicle with a flat tire he was responding to had a former president of his home country of Poland, Lech Walesa, inside it. Walesa was in the middle of a speaking series advocating for Ukrainian refugees and had just left Hartford when his vehicle got a flat.

State Trooper Lukasz Lipert, who told The Hartford Courant that he moved to America from Poland at the age of 18, said he spoke to the former president in Polish after discovering their connection. He also said he spoke about Walesa’s involvement in Poland’s anti-communist Solidarity Citizen’s Committee party and called it a “great opportunity to meet the man who had a voice during those times.” A photo released of the interaction showed the two men shaking hands, with Walesa sporting a t-shirt and incredible mustache.

Walesa was the first Polish President elected in the country by a popular vote, and while he attempted to return to the office again his runs were unsuccessful. He now works as a speaker and lecturer worldwide and is a vocal critic of the current right-wing Law and Justice party that has power in Poland

Thanks to some help from the city of Hartford, Walesa will be able to make it to his next engagement on time quickly. He will next be appearing to speak at an event in Boston Monday.