KENOSHA, Wis. — A sheriff’s campaign often brings candidates into contact with voters they have never met before. For Kenosha Police Captain and sheriff candidate James Beller, it recently led to a reunion with a man he arrested 23 years ago — a man who says that encounter helped put him on a path toward a better life.

Seeing James Beller’s campaign for sheriff brought back memories for Daevon Worley, now 43, who reached out to the Kenosha police captain after years without speaking to him. Today, Worley is openly supporting Beller’s bid for sheriff, but he told Kenosha County Eye that his support stems from experiences that began long before the current campaign. The contact led to a recent reunion and recorded conversation in which Worley reflected on an arrest from his youth. While he remembered the arrest itself, Worley said it was a conversation in the squad car afterward that stayed with him for more than two decades.

According to Worley, he still remembers the day he was arrested. Recalling the encounter during the interview, Worley told Beller, “I got spooked and ran from you,” before describing how he eventually gave up and was taken into custody.

Court records show Worley was 20 years old when he was convicted in a 2003 drug case. According to the criminal complaint, an undercover agent gave Worley money to obtain illegal drugs, and Worley later returned with them.

Court records indicate Worley’s only other conviction since that case was a marijuana possession case filed in 2013. More than 13 years have passed since then, and Worley told Beller his life today bears little resemblance to the one he was living during those years.

When Worley contacted Beller, he said he wanted the longtime officer to know that he had never forgotten the impact their encounter had on him. In a follow-up interview with Kenosha County Eye, Worley said seeing one of Beller’s campaign posts online prompted him to send a message explaining that the arrest changed the way he viewed law enforcement.

“When you arrested me, it kind of made me change the way I thought about law enforcement,” Worley said. He added that the conversation they had afterward remained with him throughout his adult life.

Worley said one piece of advice from Beller remained with him long after the arrest was over. He recalled Beller telling him, “Your environment doesn’t have to define who you are,” and said the message helped him realize that his circumstances did not have to determine his future.

Asked by Kenosha County Eye where he believes his life might be today had he never been arrested, Worley did not hesitate. He said he likely would have continued down the same path he was on as a young man.

“I definitely probably would have been dead or in prison for sure,” Worley said. He explained that he was deeply involved in the street lifestyle at the time and believed he could continue without facing serious consequences.

The life Worley describes today is dramatically different from the one he was living as a young man. During the interview, he said he gave his life to God, became a devoted Christian, found steady employment driving semi-trucks, got married, and started a family. Reflecting on those changes, Worley told Beller, “I’m a living testimony of it.”

In his interview with Kenosha County Eye, Worley said his support for Beller is based on far more than a single encounter from 23 years ago. He said he had multiple interactions with Beller over the years and consistently found him to be fair, compassionate and straightforward.

Worley also made clear that his support extends beyond their personal history. He told Beller that he believes the veteran police captain would make the best sheriff for Kenosha County and said, “I’ve been saying a vote for Beller’s a vote for Kenosha.”

Asked why he supports Beller, Worley pointed to what he described as Beller’s integrity and compassion. Recalling multiple interactions over the years, Worley said, “If you just keep it real with him, he’s going to keep it real with you.”

Worley recalled one encounter involving a friend’s girlfriend who was confronted by Beller after allegedly using a fake identification card to enter a bar. He said he encouraged her to be honest because he believed Beller would treat her fairly.

“I told her, ‘Just be real with him. This cop is not like all the other ones,'” Worley said. “You don’t got to be afraid to tell him the truth.” Worley said the incident reinforced his belief that Beller approached people with understanding rather than looking for reasons to make arrests.

Worley later added, “He’s got a natural compassion for people. He doesn’t want to hurt your situation. He wants to help you out.”

Beller said reconnecting with Worley was one of the more meaningful experiences he has had during the campaign. Meeting Worley’s family and hearing about the life he built since their first encounter was rewarding, he said, because helping people improve their circumstances has always been one of the goals of his career in law enforcement.

Beller and Worley’s conversation focused largely on redemption, personal growth and second chances. For Worley, the experience reinforced why he is supporting Beller’s bid for sheriff. More than two decades after their paths first crossed, he said the officer who arrested him became someone whose advice helped shape his future and whose leadership he now believes would benefit the community.