Police Step Up When Soldier Dad Misses Daughter's Kindergarten Graduation

Officers from the Mesa Police Department attended Sophia Prinkey’s kindergarten graduation since her father was deployed overseas. (Photo: Mesa Police Department/ABC News) )

It’s not every day that the local police department attends a kindergarten graduation, but when Sophia Prinkey’s father, a 14-year veteran of the Mesa Police Department and part-time member of the military, couldn’t attend her school ceremony, his fellow officers came in his place.

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Shawn Prinkey is a motorcycle officer in Mesa, Ariz., who is currently serving in Afghanistan. Since he had to miss his daughter Sophia’s May 13 graduation from kindergarten, 13 officers in his department decided to show up instead.

Sophia Prinkey and her family pose with members of the Mesa Police Department. (Photo: WEWSNewsChannel5/Twitter)

“He’s a squadmate, and [graduating from kindergarten] is a big deal for a little person and a big deal for the parents and family,” Detective Steve Berry, Public information officer for the Mesa Police Department, tells Yahoo Parenting. “The police department, being one big family that we are, wants to be supportive of our officers and friends that are deployed. It was a great gesture and it was well received.”

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Prinkey’s wife did not respond to Yahoo Parenting’s request for comment.

The police outing was organized by an officer whose wife works at the school, Berry says.

The officers posed for photos with Sophia and her family, including her mother, who is staying home with the kids while their father is overseas.

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