Massachusetts Officers Team Up to Provide Christmas Surprise for Murder Victim's Toddler

Officers from 10 police departments around the state, plus Massachusetts State Police, answered that call, and the departments decided to surprise JJ outside his grandparents’ home.

Staff Writer・Editorial

Read Staff's Posts

December 25, 2019

Massachusetts Officers Team Up to Provide Christmas Surprise for Murder Victim's Toddler

Officers from 10 police departments around the state, plus Massachusetts State Police, surprised 4-year-old JJ Clifford with Christmas gifts. (Photo: Facebook)

1 min to read

In November, 4-year-old Jaiden “JJ” Clifford’s mother was stabbed to death. The Leominster, MA, woman's alleged killer was caught a week later.

Leominster Police Officer Dan Cantois wasn’t content to let JJ’s Christmas be blue.

He learned that JJ liked police and their cars and hats. And as President of the Leominster Police Association, Cantois reached out to neighboring police departments to help brighten JJ’s holiday.

Officers from 10 police departments around the state, plus Massachusetts State Police, answered that call, and the departments decided to surprise JJ outside his grandparents’ home, WHNT reports.

Some departments threw in gifts for JJ: Vincent Pusateri II, the city solicitor for Fitchburg, donated a bicycle, according to Fitchburg Police Department’s Facebook page. Leominster Walmart donated toys, too.

Topics:patrol Massachusetts agencies Officer Kindness Massachusetts police and kids The Northeast Patrol

More Patrol

image of men on bicycles and women competing in martial arts and a log for the US Police & Fire Championships

Patrol•December 10, 2025

Police & Fire Championships Expands Athlete Eligibility

The US Police & Fire Championships is now open to all employees – sworn, civilian, administrative, technical, and support staff – who work directly for an eligible public safety agency.

Sponsored•by Wayne Parham•December 5, 2025

Tips for Watching the Hands

How can officers better “watch the hands”? Mike Willis, Law Enforcement National Training and Program Director for the US Deputy Sheriff's Association, shares some tips.

Sponsored•by Wayne Parham•December 3, 2025

10 Tips for Felony/High-Risk Stops

What steps can officers take to stay safer during felony or high-risk vehicle stops? Here are 10 tips from Mike Willis, Law Enforcement National Training and Program Director for the US Deputy Sheriff's Association.

Screenshot of compute screen showing a blurred license plate compared to an image where the image has been enhanced to show the numbers and letters.

Patrol•by Edited by Staff•November 25, 2025

Amped Highlights Power Behind Amped FIVE Software

Amped FIVE empowers you to advance your investigations with confidence and precision, from the crime scene all the way to the courtroom.

Background orange tinted image of southern California with pushpin marking Burbank. Headline reads K-9 Killed by Gunman, Burbank Police Department

Patrol•November 24, 2025

Police K-9 Killed, Suspect Dies in Shootout with Cops

A Burbank Police Department K-9 was fatally shot over the weekend by a passenger who fled on foot from a traffic stop. The armed suspect was killed in a shootout with officers.

Patrol•by Wayne Parham•November 23, 2025

From the Show Floor: InVeris

In this video, learn about how InVeris provides training to law enforcement, including customized augmented reality scenarios. The augmented reality system can scan up to 10,000 square feet of real-life environments and create a curriculum based on those spaces.