St. Thomas police welcome terminally ill teenager as honourary cadet

Wes Johnson, a terminally ill 17-year-old, was named an honourary cadet in the St. Thomas Police Service during a ceremony on Wednesday. Brent Lale reports.

Wes Johnson is the newest cadet in the St. Thomas Police Service (STPS).

The terminally ill 17-year-old was welcomed by the force Wednesday as the first honourary cadet in the history of the STPS.

“When I was younger, I said I wanted to be a police officer like every other four-year-old would do,” said Wes.

During the badging ceremony, Johnson read an oath, was given his own badge and uniform, signed a contract, met the K-9 unit and was even given an opportunity to shoot a taser at police headquarters.

“It’s a special day for the police service, the community and most importantly, Wes,” said Mark Roskamp, chief of the STPS. “He showed some admiration for the police and I’m returning that that admiration and respect back to him. We made him an honourary cadet, which is a first for our police service.”

CTV News has met Wes a few times over the past few months. First at his living celebration of life in February, and then again when he returned from a trip to Florida where he fulfilled his dying wish of meeting the Toronto Blue Jays.

Wes was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious congenital heart condition.

He has undergone multiple surgeries but while waiting for a heart transplant, he got past the point where his body could accept a new heart.

Doctors have told his family he has weeks to live.

Wes was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and people who showed up for the ceremony. Off-duty officers were in attendance, as well as Mayor Joe Preston, city councillors and members of the Police Services Board.

“It’s an honour to meet the chief of police in your hometown,” said Wes, who was surprised at how comfortable the police uniform fit. “The vest is not as heavy as I thought it would be.”

A soft-spoken young man, he was a bit nervous to do the oath in front of that many people.

“I was a little nervous about the speech,” he said. “Before the event we came an hour early and then rehearsed the speech a little bit.”

The STPS believes policing is rooted in people, compassion and meaningful human connection.

“We often speak about the importance of resilience, compassion and services to others,” said Roskamp.

He continued, “Wes embodies those values in a deeply genuine way. He reminds us why we wear the badge to support, serve and stand alongside members of our community in both their most difficult and meaningful moments. Granting Wes the title of honourary cadet is more reflects our respect for his journey, our admiration for his strength and our commitment to stand with Wes and his family.”

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