By Joanna Putman
Police1
SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. — DJ Daniel, a Houston native pursuing a dream of being sworn in by law enforcement agencies across the country, recently added five more agencies in northern New York to his list, NBC 5 reported.
Despite battling a rare form of brain and spinal cancer, Daniel continues to follow his passion for law enforcement, according to the report.
Daniel’s journey began after Hurricane Harvey displaced his family in 2017 when his interactions with law enforcement sparked his desire to become a police officer. A year later, he was diagnosed with cancer and given only months to live, according to the report. Since then, he has been sworn in by nearly 900 law enforcement agencies across the U.S. and beyond.
On Sept. 30, Daniel was sworn in by five agencies, including New York State Police Troop B, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments of Saranac Lake, Plattsburgh and Malone.
“It just goes to show the respect, love and passion behind his view of law enforcement,” said Saranac Lake Police Chief Darin Perrotte. “He was eager to come up here and become part of our North Country and law enforcement family.”
Daniel’s father, Theodis Daniel, expressed pride in his son’s determination.
“He always has a shirt in the car, ready to put on,” he told NBC 5.
Daniel’s goal is to be sworn in by 1,000 agencies by his birthday in late November, according to the report.
