10-year-old boy with terminal brain cancer becomes honorary NYPD cop
A brave Texas boy with a deadly form of brain cancer was sworn in by the NYPD Wednesday while on a mission to become an honorary officer in hundreds of other law enforcement departments nationwide.
Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel — a bubbly 10-year-old, who suffers from fast-growing cancerous tumors in the base of his brain and spine — beamed as he was given a lesson on how to shoot a rifle and drive an armored vehicle.
The boy in blue, from Pearland, was suited up in riot gear, complete with a shield and helmet, and flashed a “rock on” hand sign from inside the tank.
He later held up a badge, given to him at a conference table, and declared, “If you ain’t got one of these, get off the table!”
Asked how it feels to be part of the NYPD, he said, “I’m speechless right now.”
The animated kid also clowned around with cops — at one point teasing Deputy Chief Jim McCarthy about his bald head, and pumping out an impromptu round of pushups.
In 2018, Daniel was diagnosed with anaplastic ependymoma grade III, a disease that can ravage the central nervous system and is often caused by cancerous tumors, according to the law enforcement news site police1.com.
He soon set the goal of becoming an honorary cop by visiting 100 law enforcement departments. By February, he had met that goal and was sworn in everywhere from Memphis, Tennessee to Montgomery County, Texas.
With help from his dad, he opted to keep going, and this week traveled to New York.
Overall, the brave boy has had at least 11 surgeries, but has kept an upbeat attitude, according to his father, Theodis Daniel, who is a single dad with a military background.
“I do appreciate everyone coming out to support him. This is exactly why he has the push to fight harder,” Theodis Daniel said in February. “[He] knows the severity of his cancer, but he is not letting it set him back or anything.”
The boy’s NYPD visit Wednesday was organized by the non-profit Blue Lives Matter NYC.
