Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, the young cancer warrior named an honorary federal law enforcement officer by President Donald Trump during Tuesday night’s address to a joint session of Congress, received a similar honor here at the Jersey Shore.

“Fun fact … Prior to becoming an honorary United States Secret Service Agent, DJ Daniels (sic) was named as an honorary Police Officer with your Spring Lake Heights Police Department in December 2022!” wrote the Spring Lake Heights Police Department in a Facebook post.

The department posted a photo of Daniel smiling and holding up a Spring Lake Heights Police patch.

Trump honored the 13-year-old Daniel of Texas, who has been fighting brain cancer since 2018. The boy, who has always wanted to be a police officer, attended the address from the gallery alongside his father, who lifted him up during the speech. He was dressed in a Houston Police Department uniform.

“The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago,” Trump said.

“Police departments love him. And tonight, DJ, we’re going to do you the biggest honor of them all. I am asking our new Secret Service director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service,” he said.

According to Reuters, Daniel has been honored by many police departments across the country.

Ilana Keller is an award-winning journalist and lifelong New Jersey resident who loves Broadway and really bad puns. Reach out on Twitter @ilanakeller; or email [email protected].