The Birmingham Police Department hosted a swearing-in ceremony last week for its newest honorary deputy chief – a determined, 12-year-old boy battling terminal cancer.
Officials from 33 law enforcement agencies across the state, including the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the FBI, presented D.J. with badges, resolutions, and more during the ceremony. D.J. also rode in the Magic City Classic Parade.
This ceremony was not the first for D.J. He was first honored in 2019 by the Brookshire Police Department in Texas. Since then, law enforcement agencies across the nation and the globe have assisted D.J. in his quest to be sworn in as an honorary police officer by 1000 different departments. With the help of the 33 law enforcement agencies represented at the ceremony, D.J. reached the 900 mark.
According to Devarjay, ‘D.J.’ Daniel was diagnosed with terminal brain and spine cancer when he was six years old. Despite having to endure 13 surgeries over the last six years, Daniel has continued to pursue his dream of becoming a police officer, according to AL.com.
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D.J. has not been in this battle alone. D.J.’s father shared that his son’s dream of becoming a police officer was inspired in 2017 while the family was living in Texas. D.J., his two brothers, and his father were all victims of Hurricane Harvey, which left them homeless. The family was displaced and found refuge in a shelter in Houston. They stayed there for weeks, sleeping on the floor at times.
Robinson reported that D.J. and his two brothers ran around the shelter from sunrise until sunset, collecting water and granola bars like “squirrels getting ready for the wintertime.”
While playing at the shelter one day, three officers found the three boys and returned them to their father. The boys were scared, thinking they were in trouble, but really, the officers wanted to treat the family to pizza.
“At a moment in our lives when we just didn’t know what to do because the emotional trauma was so high, and we had lost hope, something as small as three officers giving us pizza pretty much put it in the minds of Devarjay and his brothers to be police officers,” D.J.’s father, a veteran, told the officers at the ceremony.
“You definitely inspire us, especially him. I’m comfortable with someone in a uniform because I was in the military. They’d make fun of me for always talking to police officers. I told them that’s because I trust the uniform, and now they understand that.”
He praised his son’s determination.
“When he leaves in the morning to go to school, it’s no different than your families and loved ones looking at you in your uniform as you walk out the door, and they’re praying that you come back in. I do that every day with him. He’s literally fighting for his life every day, and he’s living like it’s his last day. He loves his law enforcement.”
“You just made his day, but you’ve been saving his life for the last five years.”
Robinson noted that DJ said he wants to keep traveling the world visiting police departments “until my gas tank runs out.”
D.J. explained his statement.
“I’m pretty sure you know what that means. That’s when God calls you home. Pray for kids that have brain cancer.”
