8-Year-Old Florida Boy With Muscular Dystrophy Becomes BSO Deputy For The Day

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Maybe it's the uniform or maybe the car with the flashing lights, but lots of little boys want to be police officers when they grow up.

For one special 8-year-old boy in Broward County, he didn't have to wait to be a grown up to have his dream come true.

Zachary Knight dreamed of the moment he could walk in the shoes of a real police officer.

Broward sheriff Gregory Tony did the honors, presenting Zach with the badge, the hat, the helmet and finally the swearing in.

"I was that kid," said Sheriff Tony. "Hopefully he can become a law enforcement officer."

Zach has muscular dystrophy, which made pulling and pushing his body through the SWAT unit much more difficult than it would be for most kids.

"Difficulties he has are a lack of strength, stamina, hard to climb stairs, do things like that," said Zach's father.

Zach's day continued at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, where he got to see what it's like flying inside BSO's helicopter.

He then got to experience a takedown with the canine unit, and finally suiting and gearing up for the job of a sheriff's deputy.

All this is because Zach's school resource officer realized the boy had a dream of being a police officer.