Watch: 18 Cops Show Up to Teen's Graduation Party After Police Officer Dad's Tragic Death
Micah Schieber might look like your average 18-year-old, but there is far more than meets the eye to this Midland, Michigan, teenager.
In 2007, Micah’s father Chad Schieber passed away due to a tragic health failure while running in the Chicago Marathon. The 35-year-old police officer had served with the Midland Police Department for 14 years when he passed away, leaving his wife and 6-year-old son behind.
“He was a godly man who served his family and his community very well,” Micah’s mother, Sarah Schieber, told Midland Daily News.
Over the next few years, Micah would seek to honor the memory of his late father in many ways, from fundraising campaigns on Facebook to simply sharing memories of his father.
This led to an unusual request eight weeks before Micah’s graduation party was to be held.
“As we were prepping the invites, he said ‘Mom, would it be OK if we invite the police department?’” Schieber said.
So Schieber sent an email to Police Chief Clifford Block outlining her son’s request, according to Midland Daily News.
While Block responded affirmatively, neither Schieber nor her son expected the parade of squad cars to show up to his party on June 14. Eighteen officers in full uniform arrived one after the other to celebrate and show honor to his father.
“I knew this would be a big day for my family and I, and the fact that my dad can’t be there is always in the back of my mind,” Micah told Midland Daily News.
“I know that (my dad’s) brothers and sisters in blue are a big part of my family, so just being able to have that part of my dad at my party was something I really wanted to happen.”
Schieber added, “To have those officers come and honor his dad in that way speaks volumes to Micah about who his dad was.”
A video of the graduation party surprise was uploaded on YouTube where it quickly went viral.
In the video, Micah can be seen thanking each officer and giving them gifts bags and handmade signs. Micah told his mother he wished he could have done even more for the officers, Midland Daily News reported.
The police department also had gifts for Micah, including $111, which is a reference to his father’s badge number. This number carries special weight for the Schiebers, and Micah recently had an image of his father’s badge tattooed on his arm.
“That is the heart of this kid — he wants the Midland Police Department to be glorified in all of this, because they are the ones who stood in the gap for his dad, and were there for him on Friday night,” Schieber said.
“He wants people to know that police officers are good people — even though there are some bad seeds out there, as with anything — in his heart is that most police officers are good people.”
“I know you guys don’t get a lot of thanks around the country,” Micah told the Midland Police Department. “But you guys mean a lot to me and my family, so thank you.”
He also told 9&10 News that spending time with these men and women has helped him figure out who his dad was.
It was also an honor for Chief Block and the entire police force.
“The party had special meaning to me as well,” Block said.
“My heart just swelled with joy and appreciation that (the officers) would care enough about Micah to do this for a kid that they don’t even know,” Schieber said.
Micah’s plans to pursue a degree in automotive aftermarket management, although he says these plans could change.
“The more that I think about it, the more that I feel like law enforcement might be in my future,” he said.
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