Sheriff’s Deputies Accompanied Son of Fallen Colleague to School

In the Georgia Hall County Sheriff Department, all staff are members of a tight-knit law enforcement family. That bond extends to the families of fallen soldiers, too.

Last month, Hall County lost one of their men. Nicolas Blane Dixon, 28, left behind a wife and son when he was shot to death trying to prevent robbers from stealing a car.

Nine-year-old Caden was undoubtedly crushed upon losing his father so early on. He had the support of his mother, Stephanie Dixon, and his brother Colt for comfort, but he also had backup that helped greatly.

That backup came in the form of his father's fellow deputies, who knew that Caden's first day of school would be extremely difficult for the little boy.

In a statement, the Office shared how they helped Caden get through it. "He was having a rough morning because he didn't want to go to school without his dad being there," Sergeant Charles Hewell explained.

Yet on Wednesday, Caden made his way to the Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy in Gainesville flanked by his mom and the Dixon's Patrol Watch.

The Hall Country Sheriff's Office Facebook page shared the touching moment online. They wrote:

"[We] wanted to give Caden and Stephanie some extra support and encouragement on this first day of class. The Sheriff’s Office and Hall County community are proud of them both."

In the statement, Hewell said that "seeing [Caden's] reaction when he saw us made everything worth it." He noted that he and other members of the Sheriff's office have been "serving and comforting" the family since the tragedy.

Nicolas served on the Hall Country Department for three years before his death. At least four suspects involved in the case are reportedly being held in custody.

A similar incident occurred last year October when over 70 officers lined up to escort five-year-old Dakota Pitts back to school soon after losing his father.

Rob Pitts of Indiana also died in the line of duty and when his son asked for an officer to take him to school since his father couldn't be there, the Terre Haute Police Department stepped up big time.

The Monday following his dad's funeral, little Dakota was greeted by a line of officers all the way to the school's front door. The grieving boy walked solemnly as he wore his father's badge around his neck.

Thankfully, it's not all bad news for kids who are unable to have their birth parents around for some reason or another. Earlier this week, one couple was commended for taking in six children whose mother was unable to care for them.

People reported that Gabrielle and Shannon Fessenden initially adopted three children — Jordan, Jay, and Myah — so they wouldn't be separated from each other. They had two biological children of their own named Scott and Giana.

That was back in 2012. By 2014, the children's birth mother had another child, Jericho, who the Fessenden's also took in. Two more, Briella and Mason, were also adopted later on. Gabrielle says their home is filled with "love and chaos."