ROSENBERG, Texas – It was a chance meeting between a 10-year-old boy and a Rosenberg police officer that has created a friendship for a lifetime.
Jermaine Ford was throwing around his football Saturday afternoon when Sgt. Ariel Soltura saw him playing alone.
"The car was going real slow," said Jermaine. "Then he just got out of the car and said, 'Hey, throw the ball to me right here.' Then I threw it to him and he told me to go long, so I went long."
The video was captured on Officer Soltura's dash cam.
"In the two minutes he took out for my son, he really gave my son a different outlook on adults in the community," said Jermaine's mother, Tynesha Matthews.
Matthews is a single mom. Jermaine is the youngest of three and the only boy. He has dreams of becoming a football star.
Jermaine says his favorite player is Peyton Manning. He hopes the football great will lead the Denver Broncos to a Super Bowl victory against the Seattle Seahawks.
Jermaine says he also wants to continue helping others. In school, he's a part of safety patrol where in the morning he opens the doors for other students.
"I like to help others and make sure they are safe," he said.
Jermaine says when he gets older, he would be proud to put on a police uniform and a badge.
"I think that it is a blessing that he and I met," said Officer Soltura. "I think that it was meant to be."
After Local 2 shared Jermaine and Officer Soltura's story over the weekend, the community began to respond.
The Fort Bend Youth Football team wanted to make sure that Jermaine got a head start on his quarterback career, so they offered him a full scholarship to play with the Rosenberg Roughnecks.
Officer Soltura told Local 2 his gift of service goes beyond his badge and comes straight from his heart.
The officer also promised Jermaine a tour of the Rosenberg Police Station.