COVID CASES SURGE AS KIDS HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL

By Amanda Jackson, CNN

A young boy in Las Vegas had a surprise waiting for him as he headed out for the first day of fourth grade on Monday — a police escort to honor his late father.

Over the summer break, Noah , 9, mourned the death of his father, Officer Jason Swanger of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Swanger, 41, he died from Covid-19 complications on June 24, according to the police department. He was a seven-year veteran of the force.

“He was known as a devoted father and husband who went the extra mile for people in need and dedicated himself to policing to make a difference in other people’s lives,” according to the department’s press release on Swanger’s death.

The department said it considers Swanger’s death to have occurred in the line of duty.

As Noah was heading to school on Monday for the first day of fourth grade, he was met by a group of officers who drove him to elementary school.

Noah wore a white shirt along with a tie to signify he is the man of the house now, his mother, Christa Swanger, said in a video shared by the police department. He also had a police badge pinned to his backpack to honor his father.

“This is his connection to his dad on the police department so it means a lot of him that they are all here for him,” Christa Swanger told CNN affiliate KNTV as she wiped away tears.

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CNN’s Danielle Sills contributed to this report.