CBS 58 Exclusive: The inseparable bond of MPD Officers Jerving and Nowak, from the women that knew them best

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- In 2023, the Milwaukee Police Department lost two officers. Peter Jerving was killed in an officer-involved shooting, and James Nowak lost his life in an off-duty car accident. They were partners and best friends, with a bond that is hard for even the closest to them to explain. In a CBS 58 Exclusive, Jessob Reisbeck sat down with the two women that were left behind to heal and keep their memories alive. 

Jerving and Nowak were inseparable -- at work for the Milwaukee Police Department, they were squad 4374 and partners in fighting crime. Outside of work, they were "Pete" and "Jimmy," best friends having a great time. 

"Anytime they were together, everyone wanted to be around them," said Julia Nowak. "Anytime they planned stuff, we knew it wasn't going to be a bad time. We knew we were walking into a good time no matter what."

Julia Nowak is Jimmy's wife. They met in 2017 when she was working at a bar in Milwaukee. 

"He left his number on a napkin, and I was like, 'It's never gonna happen.' Later on, I texted him and the rest his history after that. I couldn't get rid of him," Julia said. 

Julia and Jimmy got married in 2021. 

Megan Bradley is Pete's girlfriend. They met on a dating app in 2021, then in person at a bar. 

"When I walked in you would've thought I knew this guy like my whole entire life," Megan said. "Just the way he looked at me when I walked in, and he smiled and waved at me. It was just crazy." 

For the first time ever, Megan and Julia sat down to talk publicly about the men they planned to spend the rest of their lives with. Two police officers risking their lives to keep our hometowns safe. 

"I tried to get him to leave MPD," said Megan. "I'd be like, 'Come to New Berlin, go to Greendale, go to something more chill.' He didn't want it. He wanted that excitement. He wanted that chase. He loved that." 

On Feb. 7, 2023, everything changed. 

"That day, I had texted him and I didn't hear back right away," said Megan.  

Just after 1 a.m., Officer Jerving was chasing a 19-year-old robbery suspect. That chase turned into a struggle, shots were fired, and Pete was hit. 

"I didn't believe it," Megan said. 

Jimmy wasn't with Pete that night because they were both training new officers in separate areas, but he was one of the first to hear about it. 

"When Jimmy told me, I still didn't believe it," said Megan.

Peter Jerving was killed in the line of duty at the age of 37. 

"When he sent me a video of all the cop cars escorting Pete's body to the medical examiner, I still didn't believe it. I mean, I didn't believe it for months," said Megan. "I don't think it's something that I'm ever going to fully believe happened."

Officer Jerving died doing what he loved, and the response was overwhelming. 

The procession taking his body from the funeral to the gravesite stretched for miles. 

"It was just amazing and touching to see that this one guy had this impact, on not just my life, but all these people who didn't even know him," said Megan. 

But the people who did know him, who loved him most, were left to deal with it. 

Jimmy lost his best friend and partner and struggled with that reality. 

"I don't think Jimmy knew how to help himself," said Julia. "The district tried to get him into counseling, and I think he went once and was like, 'It's not working.'" 

Life without Pete wasn't the same. 

"'This is fun, but it'd be way more fun if Pete was here,' or, 'I love doing this, but it sucks that Pete can't be part of this memory.' It never went away. It was always in the back of his mind," said Julia. 

December 3 of 2023, ten months after Pete died, Jimmy left a bar in Oak Creek heading home. 

"I got phone calls from friends, 'I think Jimmy was in a car accident,'" said Julia. 

Jimmy crashed into the back of an 18-wheeler that was making a U-turn on a street that doesn't allow semis. Investigators would later learn Jimmy's BAC was .241. 

"I don't know Jimmy's mindset when he left that night, but I feel like Pete not being there is definitely always running through Jimmy's mind," Julia said. 

Jimmy was rushed to the hospital. Julia and Jimmy's family were taken to a separate room when they got there. 

"The surgeon comes in and he's like, 'I'm going to take a seat.' And he sat down, and we just knew immediately that, that was it," said Julia.

Jimmy's injuries were too much. He was kept on life support for four days before donating his organs that saved four other lives. He passed on Dec. 6, 2023. 

"No matter how many scenarios I come up with, none of them are going to bring him back so I know I'll see him again, one of these days, and he'll be waiting for me," said Julia. 

CBS 58's Jessob Reisbeck: "If Pete was still around, do you think Jimmy would still be around?" 

Julia: "One thousand percent yeah. I think life would just be a lot different. Pete's death in general just took a huge toll on Jimmy."

"I think they just had some crazy bond that they like needed each other," said Megan. 

Partners in patrol, best friends in life, soulmates in spirit. 

"God had no idea what he was doing when he pulled both of them up. I don't think he know how heavy his hands were going to be. I think maybe he thought, 'I need some backup up here,' and then he got them and was like, 'Take them back, take them back down there. These two are way too much to handle,'" said Julia. 

"Jimmy dying is awful, but knowing that Pete now has Jimmy, it made it a little bit easier, to know like he's got his best friend up there and they're living it up more than they did down here," said Megan.

Julia and Megan have become extremely close. They started "Squad 4374" in honor of Pete and Jimmy. 

Their second annual bowling fundraiser was Sunday, Jan. 26 at Root River Bowling with all the proceeds going to Milwaukee police recruits.