Twenty years after a tough discussion, life comes full circle for two Fort Worth police officers
NORTH TEXAS – Police and citizens interact every day. Sometimes, things go well, and sometimes, they don't. But sometimes, they change the course of a person's life.
Two Fort Worth police officers had a chance interaction 20 years ago that came full circle.
Chance Romans finished the academy last November. Jesse Norman graduated in 1998 — a veteran and rookie, riding in the same car.
"We always make the joke, you went from the back seat to the front seat," said Norman.
Twenty years ago, Norman and Romans met under different circumstances.
"We'd gotten a call, some kids were throwing rocks," said Norman.
Nothing crazy, but when Norman showed up, Romans and his friends ran. Norman chased.
"He more or less caught up to me and took me back to my parents' house, my grandparents' house. Turned me back over to my mom, and we had a stern conversation," said Romans. "His words from that stuck to me for many years going forward. Basically, just, you keep going down this path you'll be pretty screwed."
That conversation has stuck with Romans for 20 years.
"After that night I stopped hanging out with that group of guys, I stopped hanging out with the same friends I had. I was 11 years old at that time. The second I turned 15 years old I moved out on my own," said Romans. "In my early teens I was homeless for a good stretch, staying out of my car, sleeping in my car."
Sometimes, Romans still thinks about what his life might have been like if he hadn't had that talk.
"I do have an older brother. We grew up in the same house, same neighborhood, same group of friends. Didn't have the same positive encounter," said Romans. "He's been in and out of prison his entire life, and he went this way, and I went this way. I'm pretty sure it's where he's at right now."
Something he shares with Norman.
"Man, I had a choice too. I had a choice to be a bad egg. My brother spent 18 years, my half-brother. Eighteen years in a penitentiary for being stupid," said Norman.
A few years later, Romans was able to get a few jobs and hold down an apartment. When he was working at a bar, he recognized an off-duty cop working the door.
"I was like, hey, are you Officer Norman? He was just like, I am. I was like, my name is Chance Romans, you probably don't remember me. He's like, no you're not," said Romans.
But from then on, the two stayed in touch. Chance enlisted in the military, and when he returned, he joined the Fort Worth police.
"He could call me at any hour of the day or night. I'll do whatever he needs to help. Just like I would my own sons," said Norman.
After he finished the academy, Romans was assigned a week of patrol with a veteran officer.
"Got an email, hey, your NPO starts this day; you're going to be with Officer Norman. Screenshot immediately, sent it to him, just like, I don't know if you had anything to do with this, but looks like I'm coming to you first," said Romans.
"I kind of made a few phone calls," said Norman.
Twenty years later, their bond goes beyond the badge.
"He's my son. You know, put as much effort into trying to help people as I wanted to be helped," said Norman.
And perhaps a chance to pay it forward.
"If I could just change one person like he changed my life, it's worth it," said Romans.