A little boy with a big heart made a lasting impact in the town of Wausau, Wisconsin following the death of an officer in a nearby town.
On March 22, Everest Metro Police Detective Jason Weiland, 40, was killed in the line of duty during a string of deadly shootings that spanned three northern Wisconsin towns.
The suspect, Nengmy Vang, 45, allegedly fatally shot his wife’s divorce attorney and two employees at a bank where his wife worked. He later barricaded himself inside his Weston apartment. Detective Weiland, a 15-year veteran of the Everest Metro Police Department, was shot and killed as he was setting up a perimeter around the apartment.
What more can we do?This seems to be the question so many in our community are asking themselves in the wake of the…
Posted by Wausau Police Department on Friday, March 24, 2017
After hearing of the officer’s death, 7-year-old Brady Duke wanted to do something to help. He soon made his way to the Wausau Police Department with a handwritten note and a very special gift – a Wii gaming system and two of his favorite games.
“Thank you for serving our community. You keep my family and I safe. I am so sorry that one of your police brothers died. How can I help?”
Another note that accompanied the gift said Brady wanted to give his Wii to the officers to “make them feel better.”
“I knew I had to do something because their police brother died,” Brady told WSAW. “My Wii was my most favorite thing to do,” Brady said. “Especially Mario Kart and Lego Star Wars.”
On Monday, the police department posted a photo to Facebook showing Brady’s gift being put to use.
“We’re encouraging our officers to come in and take a break and play some video games and kind of de-stress a little bit,” Deputy Chief Ben Bliven with the Wausau Police Department told WSAW.
Brady was invited back to the police department to visit and play games with the officers. During the visit, Brady’s new friends surprised him with an Xbox 360 so he can keep gaming.
“We have experienced great acts of compassion, love, and generosity from this community, but we had to share this story with our community,” the Wausau Police Department wrote in a Facebook post. “Brady’s example is one we can all follow. Thank you Brady for your love and compassion and thank you for setting the example for others in our community at the young age of 7.”
