When police officer Brent Meyers got a call about a six-foot rattlesnake in a back yard, he didn’t believe it. In his 25 years at the Tampa Police Department, he had taken numerous calls about vermin and alligators — all larger than life. But, he prepared himself anyway, making a noose out of a broomstick at the fire department from which he was stationed.
When he arrived at the home, kids who were attending a birthday were staring at the snake through a glass door. The homeowner, who, incidentally, was his assistant chief, wasn’t exaggerating. The snake measured six feet, and it looked like it had just devoured a rabbit.
Its venomous eyes squinted at the children inside. Meyers took the opportunity to snag it with his makeshift noose.
“They still talk about that to this day at the department,” Meyers said.
After a long run, Meyers, a Plant City resident, retired April 11, from the Tampa Police Department. During his time, Meyers served in a variety of roles with the department and preferred to be out on the streets rather than in the office. His hard work and dedication earned him numerous awards throughout his career.
With a taste for danger, he was on the X-Ray Squad in the 1990s, for which he patrolled the government housing areas. In a short period of time, the squad was able to bring in hundreds of drug users and dealers, as well as confiscate money and cars. Meyers received an award for his work.
In another perilous position, Meyers and some other officers ran into a burning apartment to save a family’s children. It was so hot, the ceiling had begun to melt onto them.
“As an officer, your first instinct is to get in there and save the kids — not think about the dangers,” Meyers said. “Then after, you realize how dangerous it was.”
For his efforts, Meyers was recognized for his courage.
On the safer side, Meyers founded the Ask a Cop program, after noticing at meetings with the public that they still had many questions about police work. Meyers traveled to grocery stores, safety days at schools and even shopping malls with his booth and banner.
And yes, Meyers’ efforts garnered him yet another award.
Meyers also received four safe-driving awards for having no accidents over a five-year period, was a Master Shooter for 25 years and was one of the first on the bicycle squad. He also is an original member of the Mass Instant Response Team, which was deployed during riots, and, toward the end of his career, served as a school resource officer.
“That’s what I love about law enforcement,” Meyers said. “You can do something for five years and then you can do something else without moving jobs.”
But Meyers is no stranger to random, exciting vocations. After he graduated from high school, he joined the U.S. Navy. But, motion sickness put an end to his service, and he returned home and worked at Mosaic. That’s when he met a friend, who suggested he go to wrestling school in Tampa.
Meyers tried out the school and was hooked.
“I didn’t like the behind-the-scenes stuff too much, but the actual wrestling really interested me,” Meyers said. “You learned all the holds and punches without killing each other.”
Under the monicker “Sam Lee,” named for his daughter Samantha, Meyers had his first television appearance fighting Lex Luger. To this day, he still gets recognized by faithful fans. Just a couple weeks ago, while he was directing traffic at his school, a truck pulled over and asked for an autograph. And students are completely captivated with his glamorous past.
“When I do presentations at school, no matter how much I talk about law enforcement, they want to know about wrestling,” Meyers said.
Meyers’ life has been full of hazardous careers.
“I want to make sure I give all credit to God,” Meyers said. “The Lord has guided me through all of my dangerous jobs.”
But retirement will give him an avenue to practice something a little less treacherous — barbecuing. Meyers is a master judge with the Florida Bar-B-Que Association. This year, he plans to open a food truck and travel under the new name of Brent’s Barbecue.
Retirement also will give him a little more time to spend with his wife, Paula, and his grown children, Samantha, Hayley and Jay, and continue recovering from his five-year battle with pancreatitis.
“The love my wife has shown — it’s gotten me through,” Meyers said. “Because of her, I’ve been able to keep going.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.