Norwood boy cherishes bond with town's police chief

NORWOOD, Mass. — A six-year-old boy has found a new friend in Norwood Police Chief William Brooks.

Seamus O'Neil stopped by the police station on Wednesday to drop off a key lime pie for his buddy, who happens to be the top cop in his town. In return, Brooks let O’Neil wear his hat, sit at his desk and get behind the wheel of one of the town’s cruisers.

Brooks posted about the visit on his Twitter account.

Boston 25 News first introduced you to O'Neil in August when he held a weekend lemonade stand to raise money for the police department after seeing a news report of recent police shootings. O'Neil raised $280.65 by selling lemonade for 50 cents a cup and dog treats for 25 cents each. A couple of officers stopped by to support his cause and they let O'Neil take a look inside their cruisers.

O’Neil delivered the money to Brooks, who rewarded the boy with a tour of the station and a couple of Norwood Police souvenirs.

Since then, the two have formed an unforgettable bond.

In September, Brooks invited O’Neil to help him serve food to a group of elderly people.

Brook’s also stopped by O’Neil’s house on Christmas Eve to deliver him a card and calendar.

O’Neil’s mom, Colleen McCready, told Boston 25 News her son loves seeing Brooks.

“It's wonderful to see the excitement and admiration in Seamus' eyes when they're together,” McCready said. “I love the friendship that has blossomed between them.”

O’Neil is looking forward to the warm weather so he can have multiple lemonade stands to raise money for the department.

He’s determined to be an FBI profiler when he grows up.

“He wants to help catch bad people and really make a difference in his community and country,” McCready said.

Cox Media Group