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MOUNT HOLLY TWP. — Darien Hoefling, 7, walked out onto the front steps of the municipal building on Thursday morning flanked by dozens of new friends and colleagues. The town’s newest police officer — and superhero, to boot — surveyed his territory.
Darien, who goes by “Deej,” recently conquered his own personal villain: a brain tumor. Deej spent three weeks in Alfred I. duPont Hospital last summer. While he was there, he thought about his heroes — the real life ones back home at the Mount Holly Police Department.
The recovery period meant Deej was limited in how he could spend his time. He couldn’t engage in any rigorous physical activities, so he made his local police officers beaded key chains, all bearing the letters MHPD. On Thursday, the department got to show their appreciation by naming Deej an honorary police officer and superhero.
“He thinks a lot of us,” said Chief Thomas Mastrangelo. “We thought we’d show him that we think a lot of him.”
Wearing an Avengers t-shirt and cape, Deej was sworn in at a superhero-themed pizza party in the Mount Holly police station.
