Hey everyone, yesterday with the storm it was incredibly slow. I sat in my favorite spot near a highway off ramp running tags as cars went by. I ran a tag where I got a hit that the registered owner had a suspended license for a failure to appear from back in December.
By the time I could get a good break in traffic, I had lost the car. I noticed the address of the owner was on my beat so I decided to try and go to his house and see if I could find him. I got to the house but the car was nowhere to be seen. Feeling a little defeated I went back towards the direction of the highway and I as I prepared to go through an intersection, I saw what appeared to be the car about to enter the same intersection and make a left into an apartment complex. I let the car go in before me and I initiated the stop.
I approached the car and noticed there were two occupants inside, both males. I asked the driver if he was Mr. ______ to which he replies he was not and gave me his name. The passenger told me he was the guy I was looking for but that his license was suspended and that's why his friend was driving (smart man). I joked around with the two guys a bit (one turned out to be from my hometown) and wished them to drive safe in the wet roads.
I went back to hunting that day but that was the closest I would get yesterday with the way the weather was.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
The People You Meet Will Stay With You
So the city is virtually shut down today due to an impending winter storm. So far all we've seen is freezing rain/sleet and tons of rain. As I sit here bored, I thought I'd share my story from work yesterday.
Yesterday I was en route to a high priority call (an audible alarm at a maintenance shed at an apartment complex). At one of the intersections I had to pass through en route to a call, I saw two vehicle involved in an accident in the middle of the intersection just outside talking. I got on my loudspeaker and asked if there were any injuries and if the cars were drivable. After hearing there were no injuries and both cars could be driven I had them pull off the road and told them to park in a nearby parking lot at the shopping mall on my beat. I cleared my alarm call and headed back to meet them.
Essentially what had happened was, was that both vehicle were making a left at the intersection. Vehicles coming from the opposite direction turning right have a yield sign. A car failed to yield forcing the front car to brake. The second car was following too closely and hit the back of the car. The driver of the front car turns 90 this year. I gathered the basic information for my accident report (driver's license, insurance card, tag number, and telephone number). The 90 year old man was visibly shaken and I worked to calm his down. He did not have a telephone number and only a landline but could not remember his number for the life of him or find his insurance card.
I asked the male if he had anyone he could call to ask for his number or find his insurance information. The man told me there was nobody left and his wife had recently passed and he lived alone. The tone in his voice really got to me. I can only imagine how he felt losing his best friend and the woman whom I'm sure he was married to for quite some time and now this accident happens and he's shaken up with no one to help him.
Eventually we were able to get the answers we needed. I found his insurance card among a bunch of papers in his glovebox and worked with him to remember his number.
That entire encounter did not last that long but the emotion of that man stuck with me. Out here on this job you meet a variety of people and no matter how long or short you spend with them you take a bit of them with you. It's truly an incredible job.
Yesterday I was en route to a high priority call (an audible alarm at a maintenance shed at an apartment complex). At one of the intersections I had to pass through en route to a call, I saw two vehicle involved in an accident in the middle of the intersection just outside talking. I got on my loudspeaker and asked if there were any injuries and if the cars were drivable. After hearing there were no injuries and both cars could be driven I had them pull off the road and told them to park in a nearby parking lot at the shopping mall on my beat. I cleared my alarm call and headed back to meet them.
Essentially what had happened was, was that both vehicle were making a left at the intersection. Vehicles coming from the opposite direction turning right have a yield sign. A car failed to yield forcing the front car to brake. The second car was following too closely and hit the back of the car. The driver of the front car turns 90 this year. I gathered the basic information for my accident report (driver's license, insurance card, tag number, and telephone number). The 90 year old man was visibly shaken and I worked to calm his down. He did not have a telephone number and only a landline but could not remember his number for the life of him or find his insurance card.
I asked the male if he had anyone he could call to ask for his number or find his insurance information. The man told me there was nobody left and his wife had recently passed and he lived alone. The tone in his voice really got to me. I can only imagine how he felt losing his best friend and the woman whom I'm sure he was married to for quite some time and now this accident happens and he's shaken up with no one to help him.
Eventually we were able to get the answers we needed. I found his insurance card among a bunch of papers in his glovebox and worked with him to remember his number.
That entire encounter did not last that long but the emotion of that man stuck with me. Out here on this job you meet a variety of people and no matter how long or short you spend with them you take a bit of them with you. It's truly an incredible job.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Courtesy and Respect
Hey everyone, it's been a really wet and cold last two days where I work. We have snow in the forecast for tomorrow. Hopefully it holds off until my shift ends but it doesn't look that way for tomorrow.
Sunday I did a traffic stop on a vehicle where the registration was suspended. Typically when people have a lapse in insurance the state will put a "hold" or a suspension on the tag until the have insurance and pay a fine. I stopped this lady who had her registration suspended since July of 2014. She lost her insurance in April of 2014 and JUST put new insurance back on the car on Valentine's day. She's lucky she had the insurance or I most definitely would have towed her vehicle. I also gave her a ticket for her brake light being out. I didn't just give her the tickets. I told her exactly how to get out of both the tickets and how to avoid being cited from now until the time she went to court.
I got off of work and had to stop at a grocery store in the zone to pick up some dog food for the furry one at home. I actually ran into the lady at the grocery store and she was very nice and friendly to me. You never know when you might run into the people you come into contact at work. You always treat people with respect until they give you a reason to mix up your attitude. Once the situation is back to normal you resume that respect. Everyone out here is a human being.
Yesterday my first call of the day was to an apartment complex where an expecting single mother who lives alone had her kitchen door kicked in. Thankfully, whoever caused the damage did not get access to the apartment but in the process the door frame was damaged and it really wouldn't take much more force to gain entry. I was able to help give the lady the report she needed in order to get her door fixed by maintenance and provide her a little comfort in knowing I was the regular officer around who she always sees. She even remembered me from a call in which I helped one of her neighbors when she got jumped by a group of teens. You may not fully remember everyone in this job but the little time you interact with someone I GUARANTEE they will remember you. Respect at all times is imperative.
Sunday I did a traffic stop on a vehicle where the registration was suspended. Typically when people have a lapse in insurance the state will put a "hold" or a suspension on the tag until the have insurance and pay a fine. I stopped this lady who had her registration suspended since July of 2014. She lost her insurance in April of 2014 and JUST put new insurance back on the car on Valentine's day. She's lucky she had the insurance or I most definitely would have towed her vehicle. I also gave her a ticket for her brake light being out. I didn't just give her the tickets. I told her exactly how to get out of both the tickets and how to avoid being cited from now until the time she went to court.
I got off of work and had to stop at a grocery store in the zone to pick up some dog food for the furry one at home. I actually ran into the lady at the grocery store and she was very nice and friendly to me. You never know when you might run into the people you come into contact at work. You always treat people with respect until they give you a reason to mix up your attitude. Once the situation is back to normal you resume that respect. Everyone out here is a human being.
Yesterday my first call of the day was to an apartment complex where an expecting single mother who lives alone had her kitchen door kicked in. Thankfully, whoever caused the damage did not get access to the apartment but in the process the door frame was damaged and it really wouldn't take much more force to gain entry. I was able to help give the lady the report she needed in order to get her door fixed by maintenance and provide her a little comfort in knowing I was the regular officer around who she always sees. She even remembered me from a call in which I helped one of her neighbors when she got jumped by a group of teens. You may not fully remember everyone in this job but the little time you interact with someone I GUARANTEE they will remember you. Respect at all times is imperative.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Felony On My Birthday
Hey everyone, hope the last week went well for everyone as always. My birthday just happened to fall on the work week this week. I decided to work even though I could have taken the day off. I finally chose to do it as I realized my family up here in the city is my squad and the rest of the watch. I wouldn't want to spend my birthday any other way.
Sunday went well as most Sundays do. By the time I got in service most of the calls had been pending for quite some time. My first call was a dispute with a weapon that had been holding for about an hour. The caller stated a male was outside his home refusing to leave and the caller had a gun and was prepared to use it. We get there very calmly and the caller tells us the guy abandoned a car in his driveway citing "battery problems" and then walked away. The caller really just wanted to ask us if he could legally tow the car off his property (which he could). Thankfully it didn't turn out to be what it initially came about to be.
Monday brought about something that made no sense, particularly after I just bought a brand new truck the week before. A security officer at an apartment complex on my beat advised me they had finally retrieved the video footage from when someone damaged the gate to their complex about a week ago. Video footage showed a brand new green Ford Mustang still with a temporary tag just plow right through the exit gate. Now that gate is a pretty solid iron gate which would have caused significant damage to the front of that Mustang. The car wasn't stolen and the security officer knows the guy from hanging around in the complex for a bit. I just cant imagine who or why anyone would do that with a brand new car.
Tuesday gave us a little time to play around with a "stakeout". We got a call of a dispute with a weapon. A lady's "baby daddy" came to her house trying to get some money with a gun and threatened to shoot her. By the time we got to the house he was already gone in a car (having a currently suspended license). He called her back while we were on scene and heard him threaten her again and state he was coming back to get the money. We hid units (including myself) inside of the house and some behind the back waiting for him to come back. It would have been beautiful-but he never showed up after some waiting.
Finally, Wednesday was my birthday. The day went smooth and I was praying to get out on time since I had plans after work. Around 730pm, a department store at the shopping mall on my beat called to say they had a juvenile in custody for shoplifting. I already started to fear being held over. When I get to the office it turned out the girl was 17 years old (legally an adult in my state). I immediately knew I could get out on time but then they told me she stole almost $600 in clothes making it a felony charge. The girl actually came in with a group of girls who clothes and began to head for the exits. She was the slowest one and got left behind by her "friends". The girl lived a county away and nowhere close to the mall. I called her mom in an effort to get more information about her and mom was PISSED. Mom was working two jobs to help this girl get through life and prepare to graduate high school (meanwhile the girl had no job) and she now has a felony charge on her record. I ended up staying an hour late on my birthday. By that time, the majority of people didn't want to go out that late. Thankfully one of the guys from my squad and another from my watch showed up and made it worthwhile. Hopefully this week goes smooth as well.
Sunday went well as most Sundays do. By the time I got in service most of the calls had been pending for quite some time. My first call was a dispute with a weapon that had been holding for about an hour. The caller stated a male was outside his home refusing to leave and the caller had a gun and was prepared to use it. We get there very calmly and the caller tells us the guy abandoned a car in his driveway citing "battery problems" and then walked away. The caller really just wanted to ask us if he could legally tow the car off his property (which he could). Thankfully it didn't turn out to be what it initially came about to be.
Monday brought about something that made no sense, particularly after I just bought a brand new truck the week before. A security officer at an apartment complex on my beat advised me they had finally retrieved the video footage from when someone damaged the gate to their complex about a week ago. Video footage showed a brand new green Ford Mustang still with a temporary tag just plow right through the exit gate. Now that gate is a pretty solid iron gate which would have caused significant damage to the front of that Mustang. The car wasn't stolen and the security officer knows the guy from hanging around in the complex for a bit. I just cant imagine who or why anyone would do that with a brand new car.
Tuesday gave us a little time to play around with a "stakeout". We got a call of a dispute with a weapon. A lady's "baby daddy" came to her house trying to get some money with a gun and threatened to shoot her. By the time we got to the house he was already gone in a car (having a currently suspended license). He called her back while we were on scene and heard him threaten her again and state he was coming back to get the money. We hid units (including myself) inside of the house and some behind the back waiting for him to come back. It would have been beautiful-but he never showed up after some waiting.
Finally, Wednesday was my birthday. The day went smooth and I was praying to get out on time since I had plans after work. Around 730pm, a department store at the shopping mall on my beat called to say they had a juvenile in custody for shoplifting. I already started to fear being held over. When I get to the office it turned out the girl was 17 years old (legally an adult in my state). I immediately knew I could get out on time but then they told me she stole almost $600 in clothes making it a felony charge. The girl actually came in with a group of girls who clothes and began to head for the exits. She was the slowest one and got left behind by her "friends". The girl lived a county away and nowhere close to the mall. I called her mom in an effort to get more information about her and mom was PISSED. Mom was working two jobs to help this girl get through life and prepare to graduate high school (meanwhile the girl had no job) and she now has a felony charge on her record. I ended up staying an hour late on my birthday. By that time, the majority of people didn't want to go out that late. Thankfully one of the guys from my squad and another from my watch showed up and made it worthwhile. Hopefully this week goes smooth as well.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Who Won?
So yesterday went by insanely slow. I think I sat in a parking lot in an apartment complex for exactly one hour before I got a call. I end my shift typically at 1030pm and the sergeant calls the cars fifteen minutes prior so we can get out on time. At exactly 1014pm, a call came up on a neighboring beat for a fight in progress. A neighbor who wanted to remain anonymous stated their neighbors were fighting in what sounded like a "bad fight". I could have gone home on time and let me fellow officer take the call but I had radio show me en route and I backed my squad mate up.
I get to the apartment complex and the other officer is standing by the stairs and says he can hear the people fighting and arguing. We climb the four flights of the stairs and don't hear a thing. After knocking on the door, two sweaty young black males answer the door out of breath. The other officer asks them what they were up to and if everything was alright.
Instead of fighting they replied they were just wrestling and didn't realize they were making enough noise to bother their neighbors. After running both individuals and making sure they were clean we asked them who won? They both started busting out laughing and the bigger guy confessed he thinks he did but we broke them up too soon to find out.
Thankfully that's how the night ended. It easily could have been something else and I would have been left wondering if I could have made a difference by not backing up my partner. It's the little things and we all have our fellow officers' backs.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Valentine's Week In the Hood
Hey everyone, hope you had a good Valentine's Day. I had the day off since it fell on a Saturday but nonetheless, I felt I'd share my week with you.
Monday went smooth but I felt bad for a particular couple visiting from a neighboring state. They hopped into the shopping mall on my beat initially just to use the restroom but ended up staying an hour and shopping. When they returned to the parking lot, their vehicle was gone. The vehicle was fully paid off for too. I took the report and then they had no place to go. I ended up joking around and talking with them for awhile and gave them to a ride to the nearby international airport which falls within the city limits. They knew they could more than likely get a rental car for the drive back to their state (they were all set to leave back the following day but decided they had had enough and one day wouldn't make a whole bunch of a difference for them.
The next day, I went with my good friend to a call on his beat. There was a whole family staying in an apartment at a complex where they had been issued trespass warnings a week ago for a shooting that had taken place. We had three units and were ready to make some arrests since we made it VERY clear they could not come back. We get to the apartment but the only one there was the mom and the son (who had never had a trespass the first time). The mom got arrested and I went to run the son's information on our database. It turns out he was the suspect in two robberies so I contacted the detective handling the case. It turns out the case had been closed because the victim (who was deaf/mute) refused to cooperate with their investigation following the initial report. I gave him a trespass warning and he was on his way. It's a shame when we can't do our jobs because people aren't willing to meet us halfway.
Wednesday, I was sitting in a parking lot on a cold slow night when a teenage girl (15 years old) approaches my window asking for a ride to her grandmother's house in a neighboring city. I told her I couldn't, all puzzlingly, and she took off. Her mother was following in close pursuit and told me she was running away. I chased the girl down and had a long talk with her with my partner. We spoke to the girl for about thirty minutes, the mom, and the both of them together. We spoke to her about what was troubling her (mom was working two jobs to support her and her sister and supposedly wasn't paying attention to her enough with her schoolwork according to her) and they made up and we sent them on their way. We were out there for about half an hour like I said. That encounter won't ever show up anywhere on a stat sheet where they track our production but showing that girl and family that we cared makes the world of difference over any arrest I can make. That's why I became a cop.
Thursday had a chance encounter. I pulled over a vehicle because the tag that was on it didn't belong to the car. I walk up the car and immediately recognize the driver from an accident on the highway that I worked when I myself was in field training about three years ago. His son ended up getting arrested and taken to the hospital. I asked him before I even told him what I stopped him for:
"Sir by any chance, do you have a son?"
"yeah I do officer."
"Were you and him involved in an accident about three years ago on the highway interchange?"
"yeah that's right actually!"
"Haha, I'm the officer that worked that accident way back when I was new. How have you and your son been?"
"Wow you remembered me just by looking at me? That's incredible. You'll make a hell of a detective someday. We've been good!"
That was a pretty neat encounter. The tag situation was taken care of and I sent the man on his way. You never know who you'll run into at a later time. Even though I arrested his son, I treated both him and his son with respect. It can easily all come back around. You never know where your paths may cross with the ones you meet on a daily basis.
Monday went smooth but I felt bad for a particular couple visiting from a neighboring state. They hopped into the shopping mall on my beat initially just to use the restroom but ended up staying an hour and shopping. When they returned to the parking lot, their vehicle was gone. The vehicle was fully paid off for too. I took the report and then they had no place to go. I ended up joking around and talking with them for awhile and gave them to a ride to the nearby international airport which falls within the city limits. They knew they could more than likely get a rental car for the drive back to their state (they were all set to leave back the following day but decided they had had enough and one day wouldn't make a whole bunch of a difference for them.
The next day, I went with my good friend to a call on his beat. There was a whole family staying in an apartment at a complex where they had been issued trespass warnings a week ago for a shooting that had taken place. We had three units and were ready to make some arrests since we made it VERY clear they could not come back. We get to the apartment but the only one there was the mom and the son (who had never had a trespass the first time). The mom got arrested and I went to run the son's information on our database. It turns out he was the suspect in two robberies so I contacted the detective handling the case. It turns out the case had been closed because the victim (who was deaf/mute) refused to cooperate with their investigation following the initial report. I gave him a trespass warning and he was on his way. It's a shame when we can't do our jobs because people aren't willing to meet us halfway.
Wednesday, I was sitting in a parking lot on a cold slow night when a teenage girl (15 years old) approaches my window asking for a ride to her grandmother's house in a neighboring city. I told her I couldn't, all puzzlingly, and she took off. Her mother was following in close pursuit and told me she was running away. I chased the girl down and had a long talk with her with my partner. We spoke to the girl for about thirty minutes, the mom, and the both of them together. We spoke to her about what was troubling her (mom was working two jobs to support her and her sister and supposedly wasn't paying attention to her enough with her schoolwork according to her) and they made up and we sent them on their way. We were out there for about half an hour like I said. That encounter won't ever show up anywhere on a stat sheet where they track our production but showing that girl and family that we cared makes the world of difference over any arrest I can make. That's why I became a cop.
Thursday had a chance encounter. I pulled over a vehicle because the tag that was on it didn't belong to the car. I walk up the car and immediately recognize the driver from an accident on the highway that I worked when I myself was in field training about three years ago. His son ended up getting arrested and taken to the hospital. I asked him before I even told him what I stopped him for:
"Sir by any chance, do you have a son?"
"yeah I do officer."
"Were you and him involved in an accident about three years ago on the highway interchange?"
"yeah that's right actually!"
"Haha, I'm the officer that worked that accident way back when I was new. How have you and your son been?"
"Wow you remembered me just by looking at me? That's incredible. You'll make a hell of a detective someday. We've been good!"
That was a pretty neat encounter. The tag situation was taken care of and I sent the man on his way. You never know who you'll run into at a later time. Even though I arrested his son, I treated both him and his son with respect. It can easily all come back around. You never know where your paths may cross with the ones you meet on a daily basis.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
To Catch a Murderer
Hey everyone! As always it has been a busy week but I'm taking advantage of some down time to write this entry from last week's excitement.
I started my Sunday off with some classic baby daddy/baby mama drama. I received a call of shots fired at an apartment complex on my partner's beat. My partner arrive on scene and all the parties were already gone from the location. I saw a large crowd of people gathered in the area and went up to them to see what they saw (not hoping for much). Surprisingly they told me quite a bit. The baby daddy went to see the baby mama but she wouldn't let him inside so he went to the car, took out a gun, and starting firing in the air (as if that was going to convince her to let him in...). He then took off in a hurry in his car and she hopped in hers and followed after him. Some things don't make sense on the streets-this is one of them. She called us but then took off after an armed man on her own.
Monday was a good slow day. Not too much going on but in the midst of everything I got a call at Kroger for a hit and run in a grocery store parking lot. A lady and her girlfriend went into the store for about ten minutes and by the time they got back their Chevy Impala had a nice size dent on the rear bumper from somebody who clearly did not know how to back up. The lady JUST purchased the car about two days prior and there was no note left on the car. However a person did watch the accident happen and catch the tag of the car before it took off. It's nice to know some people still care and go out of their way in the world.
Tuesday started really picking up for me. I was so overloaded on paperwork that I had to stay late to catch up on reports in the parking lot of the mall on my beat. A call came up for the overnight shift of a prowler. A guy stated two young black males were attempting to break into his house. The dispatcher took forever to dispatch the call (which was on my beat). I noticed the call was updated saying the homeowner had a gun and preparing to use it, followed by shots fired and a person shot. I immediately took the call (already well over the end of my shift) and was the first person on scene.
I roll up on the scene and immediately a guy comes up to me with his hands in the air saying he shot someone. I made a HUGE tactical mistake. The male identified himself as the homeowner and caller but I took his arms up for being a non-threat while the whole time he was still holding the gun he had just shot the would be burglar with. He tells me to check the back deck of his house for a body because he definitely shot the guy. I unholster my weapon and clear the back deck. There was no body or blood but I could see where the male shot through the window of his house at the perp. The male stated he ran after one of the teens who then hopped in a black SUV and drove away. He told me he tried to shoot after the SUV but his gun jammed and he couldn't get another shot off. The male had a Hi Point pistol which are notorious for being cheap and worthless and this incident clearly supports that. The homeowner tried to rack his pistol to clear the jam but was unsuccessful as the vehicle got away. We conducted a search of the woodline with K9 units and our helicopter air unit but did not locate the injured teen.
The next day a SUV matching the description was found in our zone with a TON of blood all over the interior. More than likely this teen died but to this day no body has turned up. He took a round square to the torso from a couple feet away. I'm just glad that wasn't me for making such a horrible mistake.
Wednesday, I took advantage of a slower day to grab some food at a café serving-line style restaurant at the mall with another officer. Every now and then you have to take advantage of the slow times and enjoy a good sit down meal. While we were eating, we got a call on my beat about a black male wearing a mask and hiding near the ATM of a nearby bank. Thinking this would be a great attempt to stop a burglar in progress we took off from our meal just to find when we got there----absolutely nothing. We arrived less than a minute after the call was made but what can you do...
Thursday was a day I'll never forget. I received a call about a possible attempted robbery. A male wearing a black jacket and a black cap walked into a cell phone store and locked the doors before making the staff think he was going to rob the store. The male then calmly unlocked the door and left. As I arrived on scene, I spoke to the manager who pointed out a Dodge Charger which was pulling out. She stated the car arrived the same time as the male. Now this was at night time and the Charger pulled off without any lights on just furthering my suspicions. I gave other units the description and direction of travel and took off after the car.
I lost sight of the car for a second but found it parked in the parking lot of grocery store (same one from the hit and run). The driver, a female, was outside of the car talking to... a black male with a black jacket and black cap.
I approached the male as other units arrived and asked him for ID. The male gave me an ID from another state but I ran his information out of my state and immediately received a hit for a warrant. My partner was leaning over the driver door of my car and asked what he was wanted for. I clicked on the hit saying.." He's wanted for....shit, murder!" My partner immediately unholstered his guy, drew down on the man and ordered him on the car. My partner covered him and I went to contact and detained the guy in handcuffs. We put him in the backseat of my car and sure enough they confirmed the warrant for homicide in the shooting death of another man. As I prepared to take him to the precinct he asked me if I could tell his girl to tell his uncle to grab him a good lawyer.
When we arrived at the precinct, I walked him inside so I could complete my paperwork. When I tell you this guy was shaking he was shaking SO bad I thought that something was wrong with him. I asked him if he was ok and his answer was "If you were in my shoes would you be ok?". Everyone is innocent until proven guilty but he definitely gave off the guilty vibe.
Ever since I became a police officer, I wanted to catch someone wanted for homicide. Homicide is the ultimate worst crime you can commit. The taking of another human's life impacts so many people (both living and the people who would have come in the future). A family completely torn apart at a single moment. I'm glad the arrest of this person put a family's grief closer to the road to recovery.
I started my Sunday off with some classic baby daddy/baby mama drama. I received a call of shots fired at an apartment complex on my partner's beat. My partner arrive on scene and all the parties were already gone from the location. I saw a large crowd of people gathered in the area and went up to them to see what they saw (not hoping for much). Surprisingly they told me quite a bit. The baby daddy went to see the baby mama but she wouldn't let him inside so he went to the car, took out a gun, and starting firing in the air (as if that was going to convince her to let him in...). He then took off in a hurry in his car and she hopped in hers and followed after him. Some things don't make sense on the streets-this is one of them. She called us but then took off after an armed man on her own.
Monday was a good slow day. Not too much going on but in the midst of everything I got a call at Kroger for a hit and run in a grocery store parking lot. A lady and her girlfriend went into the store for about ten minutes and by the time they got back their Chevy Impala had a nice size dent on the rear bumper from somebody who clearly did not know how to back up. The lady JUST purchased the car about two days prior and there was no note left on the car. However a person did watch the accident happen and catch the tag of the car before it took off. It's nice to know some people still care and go out of their way in the world.
Tuesday started really picking up for me. I was so overloaded on paperwork that I had to stay late to catch up on reports in the parking lot of the mall on my beat. A call came up for the overnight shift of a prowler. A guy stated two young black males were attempting to break into his house. The dispatcher took forever to dispatch the call (which was on my beat). I noticed the call was updated saying the homeowner had a gun and preparing to use it, followed by shots fired and a person shot. I immediately took the call (already well over the end of my shift) and was the first person on scene.
I roll up on the scene and immediately a guy comes up to me with his hands in the air saying he shot someone. I made a HUGE tactical mistake. The male identified himself as the homeowner and caller but I took his arms up for being a non-threat while the whole time he was still holding the gun he had just shot the would be burglar with. He tells me to check the back deck of his house for a body because he definitely shot the guy. I unholster my weapon and clear the back deck. There was no body or blood but I could see where the male shot through the window of his house at the perp. The male stated he ran after one of the teens who then hopped in a black SUV and drove away. He told me he tried to shoot after the SUV but his gun jammed and he couldn't get another shot off. The male had a Hi Point pistol which are notorious for being cheap and worthless and this incident clearly supports that. The homeowner tried to rack his pistol to clear the jam but was unsuccessful as the vehicle got away. We conducted a search of the woodline with K9 units and our helicopter air unit but did not locate the injured teen.
The next day a SUV matching the description was found in our zone with a TON of blood all over the interior. More than likely this teen died but to this day no body has turned up. He took a round square to the torso from a couple feet away. I'm just glad that wasn't me for making such a horrible mistake.
Wednesday, I took advantage of a slower day to grab some food at a café serving-line style restaurant at the mall with another officer. Every now and then you have to take advantage of the slow times and enjoy a good sit down meal. While we were eating, we got a call on my beat about a black male wearing a mask and hiding near the ATM of a nearby bank. Thinking this would be a great attempt to stop a burglar in progress we took off from our meal just to find when we got there----absolutely nothing. We arrived less than a minute after the call was made but what can you do...
Thursday was a day I'll never forget. I received a call about a possible attempted robbery. A male wearing a black jacket and a black cap walked into a cell phone store and locked the doors before making the staff think he was going to rob the store. The male then calmly unlocked the door and left. As I arrived on scene, I spoke to the manager who pointed out a Dodge Charger which was pulling out. She stated the car arrived the same time as the male. Now this was at night time and the Charger pulled off without any lights on just furthering my suspicions. I gave other units the description and direction of travel and took off after the car.
I lost sight of the car for a second but found it parked in the parking lot of grocery store (same one from the hit and run). The driver, a female, was outside of the car talking to... a black male with a black jacket and black cap.
I approached the male as other units arrived and asked him for ID. The male gave me an ID from another state but I ran his information out of my state and immediately received a hit for a warrant. My partner was leaning over the driver door of my car and asked what he was wanted for. I clicked on the hit saying.." He's wanted for....shit, murder!" My partner immediately unholstered his guy, drew down on the man and ordered him on the car. My partner covered him and I went to contact and detained the guy in handcuffs. We put him in the backseat of my car and sure enough they confirmed the warrant for homicide in the shooting death of another man. As I prepared to take him to the precinct he asked me if I could tell his girl to tell his uncle to grab him a good lawyer.
When we arrived at the precinct, I walked him inside so I could complete my paperwork. When I tell you this guy was shaking he was shaking SO bad I thought that something was wrong with him. I asked him if he was ok and his answer was "If you were in my shoes would you be ok?". Everyone is innocent until proven guilty but he definitely gave off the guilty vibe.
Ever since I became a police officer, I wanted to catch someone wanted for homicide. Homicide is the ultimate worst crime you can commit. The taking of another human's life impacts so many people (both living and the people who would have come in the future). A family completely torn apart at a single moment. I'm glad the arrest of this person put a family's grief closer to the road to recovery.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
The Week I Saved A Life
It's been a very busy week to say the least. It's had it's ups and downs without a doubt.
Sunday started off with my first call of the day. We were so busy straight out of the gate that I had to start to the other Sector in my zone and handle what we call a demented person call. I went to a group home for people with mental illness and responded to a 44 year old woman who was hearing voices and seeing people come out of the wall threatening to rape her. When I got the call it was 45 minutes old due to shift change. Surely the ambulance would have arrived to transport her by the time I got there. I was wrong.
I know I had an excuse for being late to the call, but I was shocked the ambulance hadn't arrived. I called to get an estimate on their arrival, only to be told they didn't have one. I waited another 15 minutes (an hour after the call arrived) and finally the lady was taken to the hospital. Thankfully the lady was calm and not violent. It was just amazing talking to her and she was staring at the wall really "seeing" these people.
Monday and Tuesday were spent dealing with disorderly kids. On Monday a mother called because her 12 and 15 year old were fighting her and being disrespectful. I asked the kids (whose body language clearly stated they could have cared less wanting to talk to me) about why they were upset. They both answered because they had eaten noodles for three nights in a row. I had to hide my own chuckle as due to the hectic week, I myself had eaten ramen noodles after work for a couple nights in a row and had every intention of doing so when I got off work after the gym. Such a trivial reason when their mother was working two jobs (one of which for the court system in the county I worked in) just to put food on the table. Times are tough and this mother actually cared. Meanwhile the 12 and 15 year olds talked about running away together. Just how were they planning on feeding themselves more than noodles on their own was a question that could not be answered.
Tuesday's kid was a different story. This kid was 16 years old and on probation. Mom tried to get him to go see his probation officer but he refused and in return broke the coffee table in the living room (which actually looked like it had been nice prior to being in pieces when I got there). I didn't ask why the kid was on probation but asked him when he turned 17 (the age of adulthood in my state) and he told me in a few weeks (which coincidentally was the day before my own birthday). I told him that his juvenile record was about to be put behind him when he turned 17 and there was no reason to add to it. I asked him if he knew what would happen if he refused to see his probation officer and explained to him just how good he had it at home with mom's rules versus being in a state camp or juvenile prison. I asked him what he wanted to do in life and he told me go to college. I was stunned. I always ask kids on the street what they want to do and NONE have ever said go to college. This kid had a good head on his shoulder and told me after college he wanted to be an artist. Immediately mom went and grabbed some artwork of his and started bragging to me. This guy had talent. I spoke to him about possible career paths as an artist and even gave the kid my work cell number so he could talk to me at any time. I really would love to see this kid succeed and really hope he gives me a call and stays on the right path.
Wednesday was a decent day which ended really busy as we had a pizza place robbed and then a car chase involving a stolen car with four juveniles inside (it's always the juveniles). Prior to the car chase taking place, I had a damage to property call from a guy who ran into some accident debris with his expensive car as he was getting off the interstate. All that was wrong with this car was his front tire was flat and his hubcap was cracked. This guy called his roadside assistance to come get the car and then called a ride from a friend and just LEFT his car in this rough part of town. This guy knew full well where he was and I just completely shook my head at that. Some people just don't get it and set themselves up to be a victim.
Finally, the moment that defined the week. Thursday (my Friday) just getting finished with roll call when we get a person shot call at an intersection. We've had numerous fake person shot calls at this intersection and I know some of us treated this as another prank. However, the first officer on scene finds a male shot in the upper leg near his groin and also finds the man ditching about 7 grams of weed individually packaged for sale. The male was placed under arrest which meant an officer needed to accompany him to the hospital. I volunteered and met him at the Trauma section of our major hospital downtown. The man was perfectly stable and we were actually joking about the super bowl since he was from the same home city as I was and our sports team was playing in the big game. All of a sudden the male told me his leg hurt really bad, even more so than when he got shot. I went to the nurses station to grab some help but the nurse told me that was normal and she'd be over in a few minutes. I returned to the room and noticed the male was sweating as if he had just finished a marathon. His monitor which displayed his vitals showed his blood pressure at about 80/30 and his heart rate was at about 60 and dropped suddenly to 30. I immediately stepped back out and tried to flag someone down who once again told me they would be there in a few minutes. I told them NO, he needs help now and a nurse came by. The nurse quickly grabbed the trauma team who worked on the man for about two minutes as the doctor running down the hallway yelled "How come nobody told me my patient was crashing!"
The staff managed to get him stable again and they all came out giving me high fives and thanking me. One of the staff told me the man wanted to talk to me and I went in. Up until this point I was fine. The man quickly said: "Officer, I just really want to thank you for saving my life".
At that moment, I began to tear up and the emotion started to get to me. I did my best to hide the watering eyes and then ducked into a nearby bathroom to collect myself and dry my eyes.
I will NEVER forget that moment as long as I live.
The staff told me I got them just in time for them to re-stabilize him. The man later found out his girlfriend was pregnant. The man was upset but happy at the same time as he had a baby momma, a girlfriend, and a fiance. But to each their own. Before I transferred him into the custody of the correctional staff at the hospital, I told him I was really glad he made it. I also joked around that I hoped he got bond in time to watch the big game on Sunday.
Here is where I'll say how he got shot. The man stated he went to a barber shot to buy some weed and witnessed another guy try to rob a 15 year old for a $100 belt. The man stepped in and defended the male and wound up getting shot. Just because the man is a drug dealer does not make him a bad person. He chose to put his life up for someone else. It just goes to show you can never judge a person on a first glance and a life has tremendous value. Even a drug dealer's.
Sunday started off with my first call of the day. We were so busy straight out of the gate that I had to start to the other Sector in my zone and handle what we call a demented person call. I went to a group home for people with mental illness and responded to a 44 year old woman who was hearing voices and seeing people come out of the wall threatening to rape her. When I got the call it was 45 minutes old due to shift change. Surely the ambulance would have arrived to transport her by the time I got there. I was wrong.
I know I had an excuse for being late to the call, but I was shocked the ambulance hadn't arrived. I called to get an estimate on their arrival, only to be told they didn't have one. I waited another 15 minutes (an hour after the call arrived) and finally the lady was taken to the hospital. Thankfully the lady was calm and not violent. It was just amazing talking to her and she was staring at the wall really "seeing" these people.
Monday and Tuesday were spent dealing with disorderly kids. On Monday a mother called because her 12 and 15 year old were fighting her and being disrespectful. I asked the kids (whose body language clearly stated they could have cared less wanting to talk to me) about why they were upset. They both answered because they had eaten noodles for three nights in a row. I had to hide my own chuckle as due to the hectic week, I myself had eaten ramen noodles after work for a couple nights in a row and had every intention of doing so when I got off work after the gym. Such a trivial reason when their mother was working two jobs (one of which for the court system in the county I worked in) just to put food on the table. Times are tough and this mother actually cared. Meanwhile the 12 and 15 year olds talked about running away together. Just how were they planning on feeding themselves more than noodles on their own was a question that could not be answered.
Tuesday's kid was a different story. This kid was 16 years old and on probation. Mom tried to get him to go see his probation officer but he refused and in return broke the coffee table in the living room (which actually looked like it had been nice prior to being in pieces when I got there). I didn't ask why the kid was on probation but asked him when he turned 17 (the age of adulthood in my state) and he told me in a few weeks (which coincidentally was the day before my own birthday). I told him that his juvenile record was about to be put behind him when he turned 17 and there was no reason to add to it. I asked him if he knew what would happen if he refused to see his probation officer and explained to him just how good he had it at home with mom's rules versus being in a state camp or juvenile prison. I asked him what he wanted to do in life and he told me go to college. I was stunned. I always ask kids on the street what they want to do and NONE have ever said go to college. This kid had a good head on his shoulder and told me after college he wanted to be an artist. Immediately mom went and grabbed some artwork of his and started bragging to me. This guy had talent. I spoke to him about possible career paths as an artist and even gave the kid my work cell number so he could talk to me at any time. I really would love to see this kid succeed and really hope he gives me a call and stays on the right path.
Wednesday was a decent day which ended really busy as we had a pizza place robbed and then a car chase involving a stolen car with four juveniles inside (it's always the juveniles). Prior to the car chase taking place, I had a damage to property call from a guy who ran into some accident debris with his expensive car as he was getting off the interstate. All that was wrong with this car was his front tire was flat and his hubcap was cracked. This guy called his roadside assistance to come get the car and then called a ride from a friend and just LEFT his car in this rough part of town. This guy knew full well where he was and I just completely shook my head at that. Some people just don't get it and set themselves up to be a victim.
Finally, the moment that defined the week. Thursday (my Friday) just getting finished with roll call when we get a person shot call at an intersection. We've had numerous fake person shot calls at this intersection and I know some of us treated this as another prank. However, the first officer on scene finds a male shot in the upper leg near his groin and also finds the man ditching about 7 grams of weed individually packaged for sale. The male was placed under arrest which meant an officer needed to accompany him to the hospital. I volunteered and met him at the Trauma section of our major hospital downtown. The man was perfectly stable and we were actually joking about the super bowl since he was from the same home city as I was and our sports team was playing in the big game. All of a sudden the male told me his leg hurt really bad, even more so than when he got shot. I went to the nurses station to grab some help but the nurse told me that was normal and she'd be over in a few minutes. I returned to the room and noticed the male was sweating as if he had just finished a marathon. His monitor which displayed his vitals showed his blood pressure at about 80/30 and his heart rate was at about 60 and dropped suddenly to 30. I immediately stepped back out and tried to flag someone down who once again told me they would be there in a few minutes. I told them NO, he needs help now and a nurse came by. The nurse quickly grabbed the trauma team who worked on the man for about two minutes as the doctor running down the hallway yelled "How come nobody told me my patient was crashing!"
The staff managed to get him stable again and they all came out giving me high fives and thanking me. One of the staff told me the man wanted to talk to me and I went in. Up until this point I was fine. The man quickly said: "Officer, I just really want to thank you for saving my life".
At that moment, I began to tear up and the emotion started to get to me. I did my best to hide the watering eyes and then ducked into a nearby bathroom to collect myself and dry my eyes.
I will NEVER forget that moment as long as I live.
The staff told me I got them just in time for them to re-stabilize him. The man later found out his girlfriend was pregnant. The man was upset but happy at the same time as he had a baby momma, a girlfriend, and a fiance. But to each their own. Before I transferred him into the custody of the correctional staff at the hospital, I told him I was really glad he made it. I also joked around that I hoped he got bond in time to watch the big game on Sunday.
Here is where I'll say how he got shot. The man stated he went to a barber shot to buy some weed and witnessed another guy try to rob a 15 year old for a $100 belt. The man stepped in and defended the male and wound up getting shot. Just because the man is a drug dealer does not make him a bad person. He chose to put his life up for someone else. It just goes to show you can never judge a person on a first glance and a life has tremendous value. Even a drug dealer's.
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