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| Kazzie Portie: A police officer who told a student his parents were killed surprised him at his graduation ceremony | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Kazzie Portie’s parents, Riley and Emily, were killed by a drunk driver on May 24. | Kazzie Portie’s parents, Riley and Emily, were killed by a drunk driver on May 24. |
| Eric Ellison, an officer at the Orange Police Department in New Jersey, broke the news to the couple’s five children and told the youngest he’d be by his side during graduation. | |
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| “I said, ‘You are going to walk! Your mom and dad will have front-row seats looking down from heaven, and I’ll stand in their place. I’ve got your back,” he said. | |
| Blake Henning, Kazzie’s older brother, posted a video on Facebook which showed the entire crowd giving a standing ovation as Kazzie received his diploma. | Blake Henning, Kazzie’s older brother, posted a video on Facebook which showed the entire crowd giving a standing ovation as Kazzie received his diploma. |
| This was such a special moment. Thank you class of 2015 for making this such a memorable occasion for our family. So proud of you @kazz418 I love you so much. Throughout all of this you have been so strong and we are so proud of you. Thank you for being such a great brother. I am so excited to see what the future holds for you. I know mom and bubba are so proud of you. Again, love you brother and thank you for being who you are.Kazzie Portie | This was such a special moment. Thank you class of 2015 for making this such a memorable occasion for our family. So proud of you @kazz418 I love you so much. Throughout all of this you have been so strong and we are so proud of you. Thank you for being such a great brother. I am so excited to see what the future holds for you. I know mom and bubba are so proud of you. Again, love you brother and thank you for being who you are.Kazzie Portie |
| “My parents talked in the last month how proud they were of me for graduating, and not just for graduating, but how proud of me they were for the man I have become,” Kazzie said. “And knowing all of this, truly warms my heart with joy.” | “My parents talked in the last month how proud they were of me for graduating, and not just for graduating, but how proud of me they were for the man I have become,” Kazzie said. “And knowing all of this, truly warms my heart with joy.” |
| Mr Ellison later wrote on Facebook that he was doing what he hopes someone else would do for his own daughters. | Mr Ellison later wrote on Facebook that he was doing what he hopes someone else would do for his own daughters. |
| “I just want everybody to remember that through this tragedy, this was all about Kazzie. And his day to shine.” | “I just want everybody to remember that through this tragedy, this was all about Kazzie. And his day to shine.” |