Community, local police officers honor Drake Price with final salute

 

WARSAW, Ind. --- A community came together with dozens of police officers to honor a teenager who had a passion for law enforcement and passed away last week on January 7th.

16-year-old Drake Price was named an honorary officer by the local police department back in 2017 and was joined by some of those officers Wednesday as he was laid to rest.

Family and friends including dozens of Warsaw and Indianapolis Police Officers came together to celebrate the life of a Price, who loved the badge and became part of the local police family.

“I think he saw more police lights and heard more police sirens during all his escorts then I have in my 20-year career. I can’t express the impact Drake has had on our lives and my only hope is that we have a fraction of that impact we’ve had on his life that’s he’s had on ours,” said an Indianapolis Police officer who spoke at the funeral service.

Price was named an honorary officer by the Warsaw Police Department back in 2017 after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor at just11-years-old.

“When Drake was going through his first stint of surgeries I had the opportunity to go down and pick him up and bring him back, do a police escort with him,” said Roy Navarro, a Corporal at the Warsaw Police Department. “As we walked into Riley it was just something that I won’t forget seeing his big smiling face.”

In 2017 Warsaw also joined forces with Indianapolis police to escort Price back home from Riley Children’s Hospital, and both departments honoring his memory the same way Wednesday.

The 16-year-old not only leaving his mark on law enforcement but on the entire Warsaw community.

“He had an infectious smile, he was silly, he liked to joke, he was this tiny little spirit but he lit up the whole room when he came in. You know 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 attended.

“Now he’ll just be watching over us and he’ll be looking out for all of us and you know his spirit will live with us and we’ll be able to take that with us as we go out in the streets every day,” added officer Navarro.

The phrase Drake Strong is buzzing around the community which many told ABC57 will not be forgotten.

You can support the family’s GoFundMe here.