Boy named Detroit’s chief for a day honored by officers at funeral

Dozens of police officers are among those who gathered for the funeral for a 9-year-old boy with cancer who spent a day as Detroit’s honorary police chief

March 03, 2014 05:26 AM

In a Jan. 31, 2014 file photo, Jayvon Felton, 9, flashes his badge after he was named Chief of Police for a day by Detroit Police Chief James Craig at Detroit Public Safety Headquarters in Detroit.

By Mike Householder
Associated Press

DETROIT — Dozens of police officers are among those who gathered for the funeral for a 9-year-old boy with cancer who spent a day as Detroit’s honorary police chief.

Services for Jayvon Felton were held Monday at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit.

Chief James Craig spoke during the family hour ahead of the service and said the department wanted to treat Jayvon’s funeral as if the boy was an officer. Jayvon was in an open casket and wore a police badge.

Jayvon was diagnosed in April with leukemia. He died Feb. 24 at a Detroit hospital.

The fourth-grader had always wanted to be a Detroit police officer. He was flown by helicopter Jan. 31 to police headquarters, where he was greeted by Craig and classmates from Roberto Clemente Academy.