BOYNTON BEACH, FL — In addition to the fact that they both carry badges, two Florida cops got the surprise of a lifetime when they discovered this week that they share a bond even more permanent than their brotherhood in blue.
They are literally brothers, or half-brothers, as the case may be.
“Good morning, my name is David Stull,” Stull wrote to Boynton Beach Police Officer Eric Reynolds last month. “According to 23andMe, we are half-brothers. I was adopted as an infant and have very little knowledge of my family history, so I have no way of knowing the validity of this.”
Reynolds had also visited 23andMe — three years ago — to learn more about his family’s ancestry and health information.
“He was curious about the possibility of unknown relatives, but never imagined this,” explained Stephanie Slater of the Boynton Beach Police Department. “He also never expected to learn that his new half-brother is also a law enforcement officer who lives just a few hours away in central Florida.”
Reynolds is a Boynton Beach police officer in South Florida and Stull is a sergeant with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in the Orlando area.
The brothers met for the first time at Stull’s home on July 20.
“It was like meeting a clone of me,” Reynolds explained. “It was overwhelming and exciting and bit of sadness at the same time. We’ve been texting all the time. We’re alike in so many ways. I have someone I can talk to, trust as brothers and cops. It feels great.”
Stull was planning to reciprocate with a visit to Reynolds and his family in Boynton Beach on Friday.
Watch the emotional first meeting below courtesy Boynton Beach Police Department: