Las Vegas police walk boy to school after his father, fellow officer dies from COVID-19

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Officials from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department escorted a boy to school on his first day after the death of his father, their co-worker, from COVID-19.

Noah Swanger made a name for himself at Steve Shore Elementary School. A motorcade of police vehicles accompanied him to school on Monday, an honor he did not see coming.

“He just found out, we surprised him and he was very surprised. It overwhelms him because he just does it, he appreciates it, and it’s just his, he has a lot of family and we have a lot of friends, but that’s his connection to his dad in the police force, so it means a lot to him that she everyone is there for him, ”said Christa Swanger, Noah’s mother.

Noah’s father Jason died of COVID-19 just two months earlier. He was an officer in the Enterprise Area Command police.

Jason’s colleagues say he’s committed to his job.

“Every call he made was his most important call. He was thorough, caring, he had compassion for people who took calls, and at the end of the shift, when we’re all ready to go, he said, ‘I have to end this call, I have to … help with it, you know I have to help this person, ‘”said Brennan Childers, another LVMPD official.

Childers is proud to support the Swanger family.

“Officer Swanger, Jason Swanger, he was very important to us and he was on our squad, he was in my academy so he had known him for 7 years, a really good guy, a really good family and nobody looked up to him more than his son and no one I feel closer to than his son so it has been very, very touching since his death, our relationship with his family and we were just happy to come here and be there for them to be, “said children.

Christa says her husband’s Enterprise Area Command Squad was the first squad he really felt attached to.

“It’s, you know, it’s difficult, there are a lot of guys, a lot of different personalities, and I think this was the first squad that he really fit in and belonged to,” said Christa.

Christa says LVMPD officials have had a relationship with Noah since her husband’s death and have helped him cope with the loss of his father.

“I just want to say thank you to all of Metro, but especially to Enterprise Area Command Squad 24. You’ve been through it all, and I know you will continue to be, and it really means a lot to my entire family, but” especially to Noah and me, that’s why we appreciate it, “said Christa.

It may not come as a surprise, but Noah says he wants to be a cop like his father when he’s older.