Kenny Nguyen and Harris County Deputy Darren Goforth often found themselves on opposite sides of the law, but the 20-year-old said he has fond memories of the fallen law enforcement officer.
In a cell phone video shot by Nguyen that has gone viral, the two men can be heard joking with each other, even though they would never consider each other "friends," according to KHOU-TV.
The young man told the news station that he had a relationship with Goforth built on mutual respect and understanding, but knew that when it came to enforcing the law, the deputy was all business.
"I met a lot of cops in my life and usually I don't like 95 percent of them," he said. "But Goforth was different; there was just a vibe he threw out. I never disrespected him."
Goforth's patrol included Nguyen's neighborhood, and he quickly became a deputy he grew to trust.
"I remember back in the day I used to do a lot of bad things, and he was always the officer on duty," he said. "Last June, he finally did, after four years, he finally busted me."
Goforth arrested Nguyen on a charge of criminal mischief for running through a gate with his car at the entrance into his neighborhood.
"He slapped the cuffs on me and said, 'You know how long I've been waiting for this?’" Nguyen recalled. "I laughed and said, 'I know, I know.'"
That gate now has a picture of the deputy who always tried to keep him out of trouble.
Goforth was killed during an ambush on Aug. 28 at a local gas station while he was pumping gas into his cruiser.
"I would see him at the gas station," Nguyen said. "I could have a full-long conversation with him, and he knows what I've done in the past, and he would still talk to me like a normal person."
