
In the early hours of May 19, Phoenix police officer Daryl Raetz and his partner were finishing up at the scene of a suspected DUI, when another car struck Raetz, who died shortly after being transported to a hospital. The 29-year old had served Phoenix for six years before this tragic night, and he left behind a wife and young daughter.
Yesterday, as 5-year old Tatum Raetz graduated from kindergarten, the officers in her father’s squad and precinct had quietly planned to attend and remind the girl that while her father may be gone, they are all still watching out for her. But secrets are a hard thing to keep in the workplace, and soon word spread throughout the entire police department, until almost 300 officers arrived to support Tatum on her big day.








