HOUSTON – Cooper Knox is starting his first day of school without his father, but the Houston Police Department is making sure his day is still filled with joy.
Officer Jason Knox, 35, was on a tactical flight on May 2 with senior police Officer Chase Cormier, 35, when their helicopter went down in a north Houston apartment complex. Cormier survived his serious injuries, but Knox did not.
Knox was the son of city council member Michael Knox, who called his son a “devoted husband, a loving father and our only son whom we cherished every day.”
As a devoted father, those who worked with him said they knew Knox would not want to send his son to his first day of school without a celebration, so HPD stepped up to the task.
HPD and other agencies came together to host a special event from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. to escort Cooper Knox to school at Warner Elementary School and give him a fun, memorable sendoff.
Police on foot, motorcycle and horseback, along with friends and neighbors, walked with Cooper and his mom from their house to the bus stop where they cheered Cooper on as he got onto the bus. Even Cormier, who is in a wheelchair, and an HPD helicopter were at the big sendoff. The bus then got a police escort all the way to school.
“We’re all showing our support for his family and just seeing Cooper go off to school it’s a little bit of him that we still got,” said Senior HPD Officer Brag.
Jason Knox’s wife, Keira, said she was touched by the gesture.
“It means a lot,” she said.
Jason’s father, Councilman Mike Knox, tells KPRC 2 Jason loved adventure, he loved his family, and loved making memories with his family. He also loved his job. All of his friends coming together for Jason’s son was a huge show of love and support.
KPRC 2′s Sofia Ojeda contributed to this report.