Little boy with big personality and deadly illness sworn in as Birmingham deputy police chief

A little boy with a big personality, a life-threatening illness and a long-held dream of becoming a police officer was sworn in Friday as honorary deputy chief of the Birmingham Police Department.

Twelve-year-old Devarjay “DJ” Daniel was diagnosed with terminal brain and spinal cancer when he was just 6 years old.

Despite undergoing 13 surgeries, the Texas boy’s determination to become a police officer has never wavered. In 2019, he was sworn in as an officer for the first time by Brookshire Police. Department in Texas.

When he was initially given five months to live, he set a goal of being sworn in by 100 police departments.

Since then, he has sworn in before 871 police departments across the United States and beyond, recently including Italy.

On Friday, Birmingham police held a swearing-in ceremony at the Crossplex.

Officials from 33 law enforcement agencies across the state, including the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the FBI, presented DJ with badges, resolutions and more.

Today, DJ will perform at the Magic City Classic Parade downtown.

“It’s a wonderful day to support a young man who has many challenges ahead of him,” said Police Chief Scott Thurmond.

“It’s revitalizing for us to have someone who wants to be a part of the profession and give back to others.”

“What each of them signed up for in law enforcement was to serve, protect, give back to others and help someone in need,” Thurmond said.

“We’re definitely helping a young man in need and it’s just invigorating that of all the professions he could have chosen, he chose law enforcement.”

Cedric Sparks, chief of staff in the Birmingham mayor’s office, said his heart was full.

“In this room, the courage, the courage of men and women is embodied and embodied in this dynamic young man,” Sparks said. “I am grateful that his family believes in his life’s calling and the purpose he has for himself.”

DJ found out earlier this week that he had three new tumors in his brain.

“It’s a heavy burden to carry, but you see he doesn’t care,” said his father, Theodis Daniel. “Then we won’t worry. “We are going to continue pressing.”

Daniel, who is raising his three children as a single father, said DJ’s dream of becoming a police officer began when the family was displaced by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and were staying in a shelter in Houston.

They stayed there for weeks, sometimes sleeping on the ground, and lost their home in the storm.

DJ and his two brothers ran around the shelter from dawn to dusk, collecting water and granola bars like “squirrels getting ready for winter.”

One day, three police officers brought the children to Daniel and the father, although they were initially in trouble. The police assured them that they were not, and that they only wanted to give pizza to the children.

“At a time in our lives where we just didn’t know what to do because the emotional trauma was so high and we had lost hope,” Daniel said.

“Something as small as three officers giving us pizza made Devarjay and his brothers think they would be police officers.”

“They definitely inspire us, especially him,” Daniel, a veteran, told officers Friday. “I feel comfortable with someone in uniform because I was in the military and they would make fun of me for always talking to police officers.”

“I told them that was because I trust the uniform, and now they understand,” he said.

“When he leaves in the morning to go to school, it’s no different than your family and loved ones looking at you in your uniform as you walk out the door and praying for you to come back,” Daniel said. “I do that every day with him. “He literally fights for his life every day and lives as if it were his last day.”

“He loves to enforce the law,” Daniel said.

DJ said he wants to continue traveling the world visiting police departments “until my gas tank runs out.”

“I’m pretty sure you know what that means. That’s when God calls you home,” DJ said. “Pray for children who have brain cancer.”

“You just made his day,” Daniel told the officers, “but you’ve been saving his life for the last five years.”