A Lakeland Police officer went the extra mile to prove his job is more than just about locking up bad guys.
Turns out, you have to take care of the good ones, too.
Pretty much everyday in the halls at Lakeland High School, LPD Officer Dagon Leach bonds with student Darius Ellis over cars.
“Come to find out, we are both into super cars,” he said.
Leach has a supercar. And Ellis wants one.
“It roars like a tiger, and stings like a bee,” Ellis said about Leach’s Nissan GTR.
Recently, Officer Leach found out that Ellis was thinking about not going to prom because he didn’t have a ride to Orlando.
“Immediately in that moment, he is such a kind spirit, and such a kind hearted kid, I knew I had to get him there,” Leach said.
Administrators helped Ellis dress the part, getting him hooked up at Mens Wearhouse.
“I gotta look good for the ladies,” Ellis said.
And Officer Leach — with mom’s permission — took care of the rest.
He picked the teen up in his GTR, and started the long track from Lakeland to Orlando.
“It was something I had to do to make sure he had a great night,” Leach said.
The two jammed out on the way there, talking cars, and by the pictures, enjoying every minute.
Their friendship is a product of the student resource officer program, where police officers get to know the kids on a personal level.
“Officer Leach, you’re the best big brother I ever had,” Ellis said.
He’s a brother who is literally willing to go the extra mile, and sending an important message to his peers.
“There’s more to law enforcement than just putting people in jail,” Leach said.
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