Raleigh police officer reunites with man he once arrested

In October 2014, a man and a Raleigh police officer tangled in a violent altercation. Cory Sanders was arrested after he nearly stabbed Officer JD Boyd.

“He took a swing with his right hand; I ducked, put my hand up and ducked,” Boyd said. “His hand with the knife glanced right off the top of my head—I drew my weapon.”

Boyd said Sanders eventually surrendered after a tense standoff.

Last week, Sanders and Boyd met again, but this time it was a different conversation.

“That was the first time I’d seen Cory [Sanders] since he was taken into custody last year,” Boyd said.

Boyd said he approached Sanders, and had a friendly 20 minute conversation.

“He was like, ‘I really appreciate him that day. I’m really grateful because it could have been worse. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Officer Boyd,’” said Sanders’ girlfriend, Kendra Powell.

Sanders, 26, apologized and said that moment changed his life. He now has a job, a baby on the way and vowed to live the right way.

Boyd posted the random encounter on Facebook and said he’s forgiven Sanders for the altercation.

“I am ecstatic now to learn that he has turned his life around and we can now embrace as friends,” Boyd said in a Facebook post.

The Facebook post has gone viral with more than 80,000 shares and hundreds of comments.

Boyd said he hopes the story will send a message that police officers are not the bad guys.

“It’s a little overwhelming, that’s probably the best way to describe it,” Boyd said. “But it’s awesome. It’s great for the department; it’s great for community police relations nationwide.”

Sanders’ father, Roosevelt Pulley, said his son changed since the incident and is thankful that it occurred, even though Sanders was placed in jail.

“He’s just a different person,” Pulley said. “Whatever it was, it changed him.”