In December of 2011 13-year-old Jajuan Shaw wrote a column that concluded with the sentence “God has blessed me with so much and my autism will not hold me back.”

Since writing that, Shaw, a student at Veterans Memorial Middle School, has competed at the state level of the Special Olympics, continued to make the AB honor roll and became an honorary member of the Porterdale Police Department.

The latter achievement came on his 15th birthday Monday as Porterdale Police Chief Jason Cripps and members of the Porterdale Police Department visited Shaw and his peers at his school. Cripps swore in Shaw, pinning a badge on the 15-year-old, who got a chance to do what he always wanted.

Get inside a military Humvee.

“He has always had an interest in being a police officer and appreciates the Humvees,” said Jajuan’s grandmother Betty Ray.

Porterdale’s finest brought two Humvees, several police cars and K-9 Nina and a new K-9 trainee. Shaw and his classmates had a chance to sit inside the vehicles and meet the future K-9 officer.

“Betty Ray came to us and said Jajuan always wanted to get into a military Humvee,” Cripps said. “And as we do in the police department, we go above and beyond for him.”