A 13-year-old brain cancer survivor who dreamed of joining law enforcement was sworn in Tuesday as New York City’s deputy mayor for public safety.
Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, who has already been sworn into more than 1,300 police departments across the country, received the honorary title during a ceremony at City Hall, the New York Post reported. Democratic Mayor Eric Adams attended and praised Daniel for his determination. (RELATED: American Model Stabbed While Protecting Women From Being Attacked In Germany)
“Today, we are proud to add one more role to his list of achievements, and that’s the deputy mayor of public safety for the city of New York,” Adams said. “He has moved across the country doing what he loves, and you know in this city, public safety has always been this administration’s top priority.”
Daniel first drew national attention in March when he attended President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress and was sworn in as an honorary Secret Service agent. His father, Theodis, told Fox 26 News the honor left them “speechless.” Diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018 and given five months to live, Daniel had since undergone 13 brain surgeries, according to the outlet.
After the speech, Daniel met Trump in the Oval Office and hugged the president, Fox News reported. He was previously sworn in as honorary New York Police Department officer at age 10 in April 2022, when he learned how to shoot a rifle and drive an armored vehicle, the Post separately noted.