Fallen police officer's father: I'll always be proud of him

RANDOLPH, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A line of Boston police officers and a procession of blue lights lit up Randolph Friday in remembrance of an officer who died after suffering a medical emergency at the Boston Police Academy.

Dennis O. Simmonds' father said his son would have loved it if he could have seen it.

Loved ones told FOX 25 that Dennis, or D.J. as he was known to family, knew what he wanted to do from a very young age and that he loved what he did.

The 28-year-old was a highly decorated officer and a six-year veteran of the Boston Police Department. He was an undercover officer on the department's Youth Violence Strike Force.

D.J. earned the department's highest honor of the Schroeder Brothers Memorial Medal for his bravery during the Watertown shoot-out after last year's Marathon. He received the award at an event just a few weeks ago. Simmonds was set to go to Washington, D.C. next month to be presented with one of the country's highest honors for police by President Barack Obama.

His family described him as a go-getter, someone who gave 100 percent.

"He completed us and he exceeded my goals as a father and I couldn't be prouder of him," said his father. "I'll always be proud of him."

Simmonds was working out during in-service training Thursday when he had a medical emergency. His father tells FOX 25 it might have been a brain aneurysm.

Funeral arrangements for the Randolph native have not been announced yet.

Cox Media Group