By Police1 Staff
BATON ROUGE, La. — A boy who stole the hearts of the community when he stood at attention in full police uniform during fallen Sgt. Shawn Anderson’s procession recently got to spend a day in the life of a cop.
WAFB reported that Samuel Sanchez, 5, held a “thin blue line” flag with one hand and saluted with the other to show respect to the slain officer.
“He did dangerous work and he died. I just love that cop and that’s why I went out there,” Sanchez said. “I went out there to honor and respect that cop who got killed.”
When the police community heard about Sanchez, they wanted to thank him and give him a taste of what it’s like to be in law enforcement.
They surprised Sanchez with a ride in a squad car on March 29, gave him police patches and badges, and even made him an honorary East Baton Rouge motorman.
“You make us all proud, brother,” Sheriff Sid J. Gautreaux told Sanchez. “You stand on the side of the road with that flag, that’s why we do what we do, because of people like you.”
When asked why they wanted to honor Sanchez, Gautreaux told the news station that “it means everything. That’s all I can say. It touched me.”
Sanchez was able to meet friends and wives of other fallen officers and those injured in the line of duty. He met a K-9, rode a motorcycle, and got to see a SWAT car and a couple of police helicopters.
Sanchez said he understands sometimes officers pay the ultimate sacrifice and he isn’t scared of the job. He still wants to be an officer when he grows up to “protect people.”