HOUSTON -- A ticket given to a homeless vet is sparking outrage in Texas.

The man was searching through a trash can for food when a Houston cop gave him a ticket.

The officer wrote "disturbing the contents of a garbage can in the downtown central business district" and “acknowledging there's a need to keep parks clean and safe."

Activists say it is a waste of resources.

"That doesn't really doesn't do anything to help that person overcome the issues that drove them to need to look for food out of a garbage can in a park," said Marilyn Brown, CEO of Coalition for the Homeless.

The Houston Police Department defended the cop in a written statement.

An attorney has offered to represent the homeless man for free.