By james art A little boy with a big personality, a terminal illness and a lifelong dream of becoming a police officer was sworn in Friday as the Birmingham Police Department’s honorary deputy chief.
12-year-old Devarjay “DJ” Daniel was diagnosed with terminal brain and spine cancer when he was just 6 years old.
Despite undergoing 13 surgeries, the Texas boy’s determination to become a police officer never wavered. In 2019, he was sworn in for the first time as an officer with the Brookshire Police Department in Texas.
When he was initially given five months to live, he set himself the goal of swearing in 100 police departments.
Since then, he has been sworn in at 871 police departments in the US and abroad, including most recently in Italy.
Birmingham Police held a swearing-in ceremony at the Crossplex on Friday.
Officials from 33 law enforcement agencies across the state, including the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the FBI, presented the DJ with badges, resolutions and more.
Today, a DJ will be riding downtown in the Magic City Classic Parade.
“It’s a great day to support a young man who has a lot of challenges ahead of him,” said Police Chief Scott Thurmond.
“It’s heartening for us to have someone who wants to be a part of the profession and give back to others.”
“What everyone in law enforcement is about is to serve, protect, give back and help someone in need,” Thurmond said.
“We’re definitely helping a young man in need, and it’s just inspiring that of all the careers he could have chosen, he chose law enforcement.”
Cedric Sparks, chief of staff to the mayor of Birmingham, said his heart was full.
“In this room, the bravery and courage of men and women are personified and epitomized in this dynamic young man,” Sparks said. “I’m grateful that his family believes in his life’s calling and the purpose he has for himself.”
DJ learned earlier this week that he has three new tumors in his brain.
“It’s heavy to carry, but you can see he doesn’t care,” said his father, Theodis Daniel. “So we won’t worry. We will continue to push.”
Daniel, who is raising his three sons 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 stayed in a shelter in Houston.
They stayed there for weeks, sometimes sleeping on the floor, and lost their home in the storm.
DJ and his two brothers ran around the shelter from sunup to sundown collecting water and granola like “squirrels getting ready for winter.”
One day, three policemen brought the boys to Daniel and the father, even though they were in trouble. The police assured them they weren’t and they just wanted to provide pizza for the boys.
“At a point in our lives where we just didn’t know what to do because the emotional trauma was so strong and we had lost hope,” Daniel said.
“Something as small as three policemen giving us pizza pretty much made Devarjay and his brothers policemen.”
“You definitely inspire us, especially him,” Daniel, a veteran, told the staff Friday. “I’m 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 it’s because I believe in the uniform, and now they understand that,” he said.
“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 pray for you to come back,” Daniel said. “I do that every day with him. He literally fights for his life every day and lives like it’s his last day.”
“He loves his law enforcement,” Daniel said.
The DJ said he wants to continue traveling the world visiting police stations “until my gas tank runs out.”
“I’m pretty sure you know what that means.” This is when God calls you home,” DJ said. “Pray for children who have brain cancer.”
“You just made his day,” Daniel told officers, “but you saved his life for the last five years.”