On the Street

Watch Dallas Police Escort Son of Fallen Officer to 1st Day of School

Aug. 16, 2024

"Walking this little boy to school, holding his hand, the smile on his face, I hope he always knows we are family," said Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia.

Joe Vince

Dallas police officers—including members of the mounted patrol—turned out Wednesday to escort the son of a colleague who died of a heart attack last year as the boy started his first day of kindergarten.

Even Police Chief Eddie Garcia showed up to help get Nico DeLaRocha to his first day of class, WFAA-TV reports. Nico's father, Sr. Cpl. Jose DeLaRocha, suffered a fatal heart attack while playing with his son in August 2023.

“You go to school here?” Garcia asked Nico, holding the boy's hand as they walked to class.

“Walking this little boy to school, holding his hand, the smile on his face, I hope he always knows we are family,” Garcia added.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.