WARSAW, Indiana — A community came together with dozens of police officers to honor a teenager with a passion for law enforcement who died last week on January 7.

Drake Price, 16, was made an honorary officer by the local police department in 2017 and was joined by some of those officers on Wednesday while buried.

Family and friends, including dozens of Warsaw and Indianapolis police officers, gathered to celebrate the life of a Price, who adored the badge and became a family member of the local police .

“I think he’s seen more police lights and heard more police sirens on all of his escorts than I have in my 20 year career. I cannot express the impact that Drake had on our lives and my only hope is that we have a fraction of that impact that we had on his life which he had on ours, ”said an officer from Indianapolis police who spoke at the funeral. a service.

Price was made an honorary officer by the Warsaw Police Department in 2017 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of just 11.

“When Drake was having his first surgery, I had the opportunity to get down, pick him up and bring him back, have a police escort with him,” said Roy Navarro, a corporal in the Warsaw Police Department. “When we walked into Riley, it was just something I won’t forget to see her big smiley face.”

In 2017, Warsaw also joined forces with Indianapolis police to escort Price home from Riley Children’s Hospital, and both departments honored his memory similarly on Wednesday.

The 16-year-old not only left his mark on the police but on the entire Warsaw community.

“He had an infectious smile, he was silly, he liked to joke, he was that tiny little spirit but he lit up the whole room when he walked in.” You see what I mean ? It was phenomenal, the bright light he shared with everyone, ”said Lisa Valentine, an assistant at Lincoln Elementary School who worked with Price while he was attending.

“Now he will just watch over us and he will watch over all of us and you know his spirit will live with us and we can take him with us when we go out on the streets every day,” added Officer Navarro.

The phrase Drake Strong is circling the community and many told ABC57 it won’t be forgotten.

You can support the family’s GoFundMe here.