Local

CMPD surprises young heart transplant patient with home visit

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers made a special home visit to a local boy who has had multiple heart surgeries and a heart transplant.

Gray Jackson has idolized police officers since before he can remember, even pretending to be an officer himself.

Gray has even flagged down squad cars patrolling his south Charlotte neighborhood.

His mother, Brittany Jackson, called a CMPD sergeant, who met Gray in the neighborhood, to see if she could set up a visit to the station.

“Instead, he pulled out all the stops and set up a whole convoy to come out and visit us,” Brittany said.

A line of blue lights came down the street Friday and pulled up at the Jacksons’ home.

"In tears to see your kid’s heroes, literally in droves, coming down the street, it gets you, at your heart,” Brittany Jackson said.

An officer let Gray put him in handcuffs, then he and his family rode in a squad car to a station, talked to officers on their radio and more.

“After yesterday, he thinks he has passed the test, so he thinks that now when he's old enough, he's officially a policeman,” Brittany Jackson said.

Brittany Jackson said she's very appreciative of those officers for going out of their way to show kids in the community they can do anything they want when they grow up.