Police officer Jaime Castro was working security at a Dallas steakhouse when he received the most unexpected of invitations to sit at the table.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was dining at the restaurant with friends when he invited Castro to sit. Almost a month after he donated $1,00,000 to improve police training and address systematic racism throughout the education system, Prescott wanted to have a personal discussion with Castro about further actions needed to be taken for justice reform in the country.
Castro, a member of the Dallas police force for 20 years, and the third vice president of the Dallas Police Association, said, "He had some really good questions about police work and what he can do to unite the Dallas police department and the community of Dallas. We talked about the importance of counseling and making sure we have mentally stable officers because that's what the community deserves — a healthy, stable officer," Castro said. "One thing he thought was really important was having officers at schools. He remembered his officer who was at his school when he was growing up. His resource officer and him had a really good relationship and it meant a lot to him."
This was also a thrill for Castro because he is a Cowboys superfan. He even gave himself the nickname "Ballz Mahoney," an alter ego to go along with his Cowboys gameday outfit. He said of his persona, "It brings out the human side. It allows me to get my mind off of the daily stresses being a police officer. He (Ballz Mahoney) lets people see the human side of being an officer."
In the end, Castro is ecstatic with how the conversation played out, and hopes it will become an example for communities going forward. He said, "We gave each other a big hug. I've always said, 'sports unite.' Here's the perfect example of how we can find a common ground through sports and start talking about how we can make our community better."
Via Dallas News
