'I couldn't be happier': Officer, young boy form friendship after traumatic 911 call

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) - Every bond has to begin somewhere. For one officer at the Waukesha Police Department, one call he answered changed his life, and the life of a little boy.

Sometimes the most important people in our lives, the most important relationships, are like building blocks. They’re put together slowly, over time.

Officer Max Shaw and Jax Vire-Cruz’s friendship is built on plenty of games and trash talk.

“I like how we’re both competitive and play games like Jenga, the basketball hoop, football, Simon says,” said Jax.

“That sounds like Jax,” said Max.

Every Friday, for the last three years, Officer Max meets Jax at school for one hour. It’s one hour filled with laughter

“Sometimes we go outside, sometimes we stay inside and play games,” said Jax. “Our friendship is fun, we always do something, we’re never bored.”

That’s not how Max and Jax’s story began. It started with a 9-1-1 call, seven years ago.

“Seeing Jax the first time, stuck in my head. The very clear memory of watching him walk down the street with his dad at the time” said Max.

On May 5th, 2018, Nina Cruz was stabbed, left bleeding in her front lawn. Her son Jax Vire Cruz, just two years old at the time, watched it happen.

“My ex-husband tried to kill me in front of the three children,” said Nina. “I was broken. My family was broken.”

One officer from the Waukesha Police Department arrived first on scene. Officer Max Shaw.

“And I remember one of the things I remember seeing is their little paw patrol like table and chair set and man, that sucks. That it has to happen to kids,” said Max.

As Nina began to heal, she searched for ways her family could, too.

“He’s a quiet, energetic boy,” said Nina.

Jax had one request.

“I wanted to play with someone older and like a mentor. Asked my mom and she said we could do big brother, big sister,” said Jax.

Through the program, Max was randomly paired with Jax.

“One of my bosses told me what the connection was and it floored me at the time,” said Max.

The little boy Max saved, he now gets to watch grow up.

“God puts all these people in your lives and to have this relationship with him is amazing,” said Nina. “I can see how he depends on Max, how he looks forward to him. How Max is the male role model that he doesn’t have at home.”

Jax may not remember much about what happened that day. If he does, he doesn’t talk about it. All Jax knows is his big brother Max is a hero.

“Everybody loves police officers and how they help everybody,” said Jax.

Jax gets to meet his hero every week.

“I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t be happier,” said Max.