Cops deliver special recognition for 4th grader

Madera, California -- A Madera Unified student was surprised by a couple of community heroes on Monday.

Rafael is a fourth-grade student at Lincoln Elementary School.

His teachers wanted to do something special for him in honor of a well-earned academic achievement.

Rafael wants to be an officer one day, so the Madera Police Department made a visit delivering a special bag of goodies. He also got to sit on one of the police motorcycles!

The surprise was captured on video shared by the school district. His teachers said it was the perfect way to celebrate his success.

"Rafael is a very special student. He is always so positive, and he is always so glad to be around his friends and other adults here at the school," said Rebecca Chambers, speech-language pathologist.

"And he just makes connections with people that just bring him near and dear to our hearts. And so it was really important to make sure that he got special recognition for what he's achieved," Chambers said.

The police department heard Rafael often dresses up as an officer for Halloween, so they included some items to help complete his look, including an official hat and a small badge.