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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Kazzie Portie: A police officer who told a student his parents were killed surprised him at his graduation ceremony | Kazzie Portie: A police officer who told a student his parents were killed surprised him at his graduation ceremony |
| (about 9 hours 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 Texas, 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. | “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.” |