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Police officers escort girl to first day of school to honor dad who died on duty

Anna Stolinsky, whose police officer dad died in 2021, got a back-to-school welcome from his department.
A kindergartner in Tennessee was escorted to her first day of school by members of her late father's police department.  
A kindergartner in Tennessee was escorted to her first day of school by members of her late father's police department.  La Vergne Police Department
/ Source: TODAY

A little girl was escorted to her first day of kindergarten by dozens of police officers who worked with her late father.

On Aug. 8, as Anna Stolinsky got ready for her first day at a new school, 20 motorcycles and five police cars drove up to her home, sirens ringing.

Members of the La Vergne Police Department in Tennessee were there to escort the 5-year-old to school, in place of her father Detective Sgt. Kevin Stolinsky, 44, who died of a heart attack in 2021, while at work.

"I was reading a book and went to tell my Nana, 'The policemen are here!'" Anna, told TODAY Parents.

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Anna's mom Casey Stolinsky knew the officers were coming, as her brother-in-law, who works in the police department, had asked her permission.

The family piled into the patrol car of Stolinsky's lieutenant David Durham — an emotional ride for Casey. "He was the one who drove us to the hospital the night we got the call (about Kevin)," she told TODAY Parents. "I sat in that same seat."

When they pulled up to Lancaster Christian Academy in Smyrna, a large group of officers were lined up to welcome Anna.

Anna Stolinsky pictured with her late father, Detective Sgt. Kevin Stolinsky.
Anna Stolinsky pictured with her late father, Detective Sgt. Kevin Stolinsky.Courtesy of the La Vergne Police Department

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A Facebook video from the La Vergne Police Department shows police forming a human corridor while Anna high-fives each one. She also got a hug from Officer Travis Wilson, who administered CPR to her father on the night he died.

Afterward, Casey and Anna's uncle walked the girl to class.

Last year, the police department also honored Anna with an American flag at her dad's funeral.

The school greeting, said Casey, was "amazing," and honored Anna's "favorite daddy in the whole wide world."