In a heartfelt show of support, officers from the Dallas and Sunnyvale police departments in Texas escorted the son of a fallen officer to his first day of kindergarten last week.
Nico De La Rocha, the son of the late Senior Corporal Jose De La Rocha, was accompanied by a group of officers who wanted to ensure he felt the love of his community on his milestone day.
“It’s a big day for him,” Dallas Police Sergeant George Aranda told local news station WFFA in an interview. “It’s kindergarten, and we wanted to come out and show our support, which the officers achieved.”
Jose De La Rocha, a 14-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department, passed away last August from a sudden heart attack while playing with Nico in the kitchen, according to WFAA. Nico alerted his mother, but the heart attack turned out to be fatal.
In his father’s absence, the Dallas Police Department stepped in to fill the role, walking Nico to his classroom.
The department later shared photos of the moment on X, captioning the post, “And he’s off! A special morning as we escorted the son of Senior Corporal Jose De La Rocha to his first day of school.”
The Brotherhood for the Fallen in Dallas, an organization dedicated to supporting the families of fallen officers, describes De La Rocha on their website as a man with “a huge heart and a captivating smile” who was committed to serving his hometown.
The organization is currently accepting donations to support the De La Rocha family.
Nico, beaming as he reached his classroom, was the center of attention in an emotional scene that resonated with all involved.
“I know as a father, his dad would have given anything to be here, so I know he’s looking down and he’s smiling today,” Chief Eddie Garcia told WFAA.
