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Officer Gives Police Department's Biggest Fan Thoughtful Gift

1010 WINS-A video posted online by a police officer in Charlotte, NC has gone viral showing Officer Alex Milhazes "deputizing" a special needs teen named Shamell whom he and his fellow officers have gotten to know while working shifts over the last few months.

Officer Alex Milhazes
(Officer Alex Milhazes)

In a statement provided to 1010 WINS Officer Milhazes explains how the evening's events affected him, explaining how he and his fellow shift comrades have been able to build a close rapport with the young man who has shown a keen interest in police work. "He would always ask for stickers, even when he would already have multiple golden badges strewn across his chest. His pure desire to be around us, and feel like he was one of us really sunk in with me," says Milhazes.

"I wanted to find a way to make him feel like he truly was one of the officers he looked up to with such admiration."

See Also: Surveillance Video Captures Kid Stealing and Returning Neighbor's Package In Toy Truck

Milhazes decided to purchase a police accessory set online, which included items such as a toy badge and radio, binoculars, a compass, and more. "The key ingredient," he says, was a higher quality toy badge that he picked up separately from the set. "I was not satisfied with the small plastic one that was included in the set I had added to my cart. So I kept looking and found a perfect costume badge with a real metal belt clip and chain necklace."

Officer Alex Milhazes
(Officer Alex Milhazes)

It would be a few weeks until Milhazes and his future deputy would see each other again, but when they finally met, "I was surprised that I was the one that was suddenly giddy and excited," Milhazes says.

While filming, "I was trying to hold back some tears at how happy he was," he admits. "I have been told by numerous officers in the division, as well as my sergeant, that he had been showing off his new gadgets to the other officers, and pretending to chat with us on his toy radio."

Milhazes, who says his wife (pictured above) is his backbone, elaborated about the experience in a post on Facebook saying, "this right here is the reason I chose the life of a police officer."


Watch the full video below.

-Joe Cingrana

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