Nearly 60 Dallas law enforcement officers gathered in the gym of a high school on Tuesday to cheer on a fallen officer’s daughter during one of the school’s volleyball games.
The officers gathered at R.L. Turner High School’s gym to surprise high school senior Victoria Smith, whose father died in the line of duty when she was younger, during the volleyball team’s Senior Night to recognize the graduating seniors on the team.
“This is just another way to let them know that hey we’re still here,” Det. Marcie St. John said. “We’re not going anywhere.”
Smith’s father, Sgt. Mike Smith, was one of five officers killed during an ambush in Downtown Dallas on July 7, 2016, WFAA reported.
Her mom, Heidi, said that volleyball is the one thing that has kept her going and is something her dad would have been very proud of.
“It’s the one thing that lets her keep going and it is something that her dad was very involved with,” Heidi Smith told KTXA.
The officers say they will continue to support Victoria as she moves on to Austin College in Sherman, Texas, next year.