Police officers show up to graduation party for fallen officer's son: 'Dad still has a presence in their hearts'

Mahira Dayal
Updated

A parade of police cars rolling into a teenager’s party usually isn’t a great sign, but for Micah Schieber, it was a dream come true.

The 18-year-old graduated from Midland High School in Midland, Mich., on May 29. For his June 14 graduation party, he had a special request for his mother – he wanted to add the members of the local police department to the guest list.

Micah’s father, Chad, served in the police force for more than a decade before he passed away in 2007. In an attempt to feel closer to his dad and include him in the celebration, the Schiebers extended the invite to the City of Midland Police Department.

“I was so scared that if we invited them and nobody came that Micah's heart would be broken,” his mother, Sarah, wrote in a Facebook post. “Chief Block said he thought they could get some officers to the party, but we had no idea what that meant.”

However, the outcome was greater than the mother-son duo could have imagined.

A video posted to YouTube by Micah’s aunt Krystn Madrine shows a succession of uniformed officers arriving in squad cars — flashing beacons and fully decked in their uniforms. The teenager is seen shaking hands with each of the 18 officers that came and thanking them for their service.

“It’s one of those things where I wished my dad was able to be there, because it was just super special and I wanted to share it with him,” Micah tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “And his brothers and sisters in blue — once a cop, always a cop — never forget. Being able to share that moment with people who love and remember him was really special.”

City of Midland Police Department Chief Clifford Block was glad the department had the chance to attend.

“This is the first time that I have been involved in such a request to attend a graduation party and I have been here for 26 years. It was an honor for our team to be requested and I am glad that we were able to be a part of Micah’s celebration and to represent his father,” Block tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

Block added that he had the “honor and privilege’ to work with Chad. “He had a true servant’s heart and had a passion for community service. He was a great man, father, husband and officer,” he said.

Schieber’s family members weren’t the only ones touched by the kind act.

“What an awesome display of affection on both police and family. God bless all the men and women in blue,” someone commented on Sarah Scheiber’s Facebook post.

“Goosebumps and tears. What an awesome child and awesome police dept.,” another added. “Thank you all for sharing this day with this young man and for you for sharing it with us.”

Micah and the officers also exchanged presents, according to Sarah’s Facebook post. The police department “gave him several items that represent the Midland Police Department. A coin, a mug, and patch, a beautiful thin blue line pen made by an officer. They also gave him $111. His daddy's badge number? 111.”

The 18-year old presented all of his uniformed guests with presents, including cut out of the lower peninsula of Michigan, with a thin blue line, that he made in his welding class.

The proud mother also added that the most “lovely and meaningful” gift the officers gave her son was one of his dad’s trading cards, which acted as a “reminder that Chad is not forgotten.”

“Almost twelve years later...they wanted Micah to know that his dad still has a presence in their hearts and at the Midland Police Department,” Sarah wrote.

Micah tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the celebration would have made his dad proud.

“He would have been flattered knowing that not only did they do it for him, but also his family,” he says. “Knowing his family is still loved and protected within the community speaks volumes about the kind of person and character he was every day.”

As another gesture to his father, Micah got a tattoo with the words “Officer Midland Police” on his shoulder, and posted a photo of the design on Twitter.

Chief Block thanked Micah for his support of the Midland Police Department.

“It was an honor for the Midland Police Department to be a part of your celebration and to be there in the uniform that your father so proudly and honorably wore for nearly 13 years,” he said. “Your MPD family wishes you the best as you navigate the next chapter of your life.”

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