Yesterday was definitely a well needed day after the craziness that was Sunday.
I was at my favorite highway off-ramp spot when I ran a tag and found out the registration was suspended and it had a brake light out. I initiated my stop and found out the driver/registered owner was 89 years old and about to turn 90 in November. I really did NOT want to write this guy a ticket. I had some leeway with the brake light. He was definitely not going to get that. However when it came to his registration being suspended it was essentially as if he had no tag and was an impoundable offense. I was not going to impound the vehicle but I had to write the ticket to cover myself from personal liability if he was to end up in an accident. I did however, tell him everything he needed to do to get the ticket dismissed.
I received a 911 call about some supposedly stolen vehicles being stashed at a house. They even gave an accurate description of one of the vehicles. As I arrived at the house I saw the car matching what was in the 911 call. I could hear loud music coming from the car and as I got closer it immediately cut out. My hand went to my weapon as a older, black male emerged from the car with his hand in his pocket. I told him to get his hands out of his pockets and he did. I asked him who the car belonged to and he said it belonged to his brother named John. I asked him if he had ID and he said he did but it was in the house and he started to walk back inside. I stopped him and asked him to just write down his information. The male was extremely nervous as he did so. Instead of returning to my vehicle to run the vehicle and the man, I had another officer run it. The car was fine (and actually registered to John) but the man turned out to have a possible warrant out of the state of Michigan and they were willing to extradite.
I confirmed the warrant and the male was placed under arrest. I went to search him incident to arrest and found three loose, small white pills in his left pocket. I asked him what they were and he said it was pain medication for his back. I asked him if he had a prescription and he said yes. Now the male said he lived at the location and just had them loose in his pocket for when he needed to take them next. I had the man's wife and kids search for the prescription but they could only find a year old prescription for a different painkiller. I gave them about a half an hour to try and find the right one but they were unsuccessful and he was charged with the drugs.
Never know what you'll find in people's pockets!
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
Not The Average Sunday
Yesterday was Sunday. Sundays are typically slow in the police community. Yesterday it rained. Rainy days are typically slow. Put the two together and you'd think we could all just sit down and have a meal on a "quiet" Sunday. Yesterday was not that day.
I came into work with a pending of calls about 12 deep. The pending never cleared until 1245am. (I get off work at 1030-or at least I'm supposed to). I ended up staying late due to a vehicle accident and on the way back to the precinct a DUI driver on prescription medication and alcohol driving with no lights on almost hit me head on. Needless to say, I didn't get home until roughly 2am. I'm especially grateful for an officer who helped me out with the field sobriety test on the driver (who failed miserably and I had to hold in my laughter as it occurred).
Earlier in the day I posted up at my favorite highway off-ramp to run tags when I saw a vehicle with a temporary tag. In my state, "temp tags" have a registration number and a date when the tag expires. This particular tag only had a date and therefore was invalid. I initiated my stop on the vehicle as it pulled into a buy here/pay here car dealership.
I approached the car and saw two kids (later found out there were 3 and 1 years old) both sleeping on the backseat lying down with no seat belts on. I asked the driver why her kids weren't in a seat and she told me she was just coming back from the daycare and didn't have them in her car (which was a rental from the car dealership which we pulled into). I asked the driver for her license and she told me she left it at home. I had her write down her information on my notepad and I went back to the car to run her and the car's VIN. The VIN told me the car was not registered (meaning a ticket at least for that and the two kids). When I ran the license the height and weight on the female didn't seem to match for an ID that was supposedly issued last month. I ran the female's information on my department database and found out she was arrest last month for shoplifting. I returned to the car and asked the female when the last time she was arrested was. The female told me it was a few years ago and could not remember the charge. I knew for a fact at this point she was giving me the information of someone else. I detained her in handcuffs and told her this was the time to tell me who she really was or she would be charged with a misdemeanor for lying to me. She kept to her story and I fingerprinted her with a mobile fingerprint machine. Sure enough she was lying and when I found out who she was, she had three warrants, each from separate counties. She also rented the car from the car dealership using a fake name as her license was suspended. For some people when it rains, it pours-literally.
Later in the day, I was dealing with a possible stolen truck at an apartment complex that actually turned out to have been repossessed after the owner hadn't paid in three months....when a dispute with a knife broke out in an adjacent building. A resident in the apartment managed to wrestle the knife away before I actually got over there. But two grown adult sisters in the apartment got cabin fever after being cooped up in the apartment with the rain all day. One had been drinking and the other had been smoking weed (the weed smoker also had one leg). The weed smoker got upset, grabbed a knife and jumped on the other sister after cutting her on her inner thigh. The drinker kept telling me she was cut and I kept asking where and she wouldn't tell me. She finally said officer, I'll just pull down my pants and show you. I had to stop her. I really didn't want to see that. Eventually the beat officer for where the fight occurred came out and handled the call. I got out of that apartment as fast as I could.
I slept so well and slept in even. Of course today just happened to be the day maintenance came around to do quarterly inspections and I awoke to my dog waking me up barking. Today definitely called for an energy drink to stay alert for the start of a new shift.
I came into work with a pending of calls about 12 deep. The pending never cleared until 1245am. (I get off work at 1030-or at least I'm supposed to). I ended up staying late due to a vehicle accident and on the way back to the precinct a DUI driver on prescription medication and alcohol driving with no lights on almost hit me head on. Needless to say, I didn't get home until roughly 2am. I'm especially grateful for an officer who helped me out with the field sobriety test on the driver (who failed miserably and I had to hold in my laughter as it occurred).
Earlier in the day I posted up at my favorite highway off-ramp to run tags when I saw a vehicle with a temporary tag. In my state, "temp tags" have a registration number and a date when the tag expires. This particular tag only had a date and therefore was invalid. I initiated my stop on the vehicle as it pulled into a buy here/pay here car dealership.
I approached the car and saw two kids (later found out there were 3 and 1 years old) both sleeping on the backseat lying down with no seat belts on. I asked the driver why her kids weren't in a seat and she told me she was just coming back from the daycare and didn't have them in her car (which was a rental from the car dealership which we pulled into). I asked the driver for her license and she told me she left it at home. I had her write down her information on my notepad and I went back to the car to run her and the car's VIN. The VIN told me the car was not registered (meaning a ticket at least for that and the two kids). When I ran the license the height and weight on the female didn't seem to match for an ID that was supposedly issued last month. I ran the female's information on my department database and found out she was arrest last month for shoplifting. I returned to the car and asked the female when the last time she was arrested was. The female told me it was a few years ago and could not remember the charge. I knew for a fact at this point she was giving me the information of someone else. I detained her in handcuffs and told her this was the time to tell me who she really was or she would be charged with a misdemeanor for lying to me. She kept to her story and I fingerprinted her with a mobile fingerprint machine. Sure enough she was lying and when I found out who she was, she had three warrants, each from separate counties. She also rented the car from the car dealership using a fake name as her license was suspended. For some people when it rains, it pours-literally.
Later in the day, I was dealing with a possible stolen truck at an apartment complex that actually turned out to have been repossessed after the owner hadn't paid in three months....when a dispute with a knife broke out in an adjacent building. A resident in the apartment managed to wrestle the knife away before I actually got over there. But two grown adult sisters in the apartment got cabin fever after being cooped up in the apartment with the rain all day. One had been drinking and the other had been smoking weed (the weed smoker also had one leg). The weed smoker got upset, grabbed a knife and jumped on the other sister after cutting her on her inner thigh. The drinker kept telling me she was cut and I kept asking where and she wouldn't tell me. She finally said officer, I'll just pull down my pants and show you. I had to stop her. I really didn't want to see that. Eventually the beat officer for where the fight occurred came out and handled the call. I got out of that apartment as fast as I could.
I slept so well and slept in even. Of course today just happened to be the day maintenance came around to do quarterly inspections and I awoke to my dog waking me up barking. Today definitely called for an energy drink to stay alert for the start of a new shift.
Friday, March 20, 2015
The Things People Call 911 For......
So yesterday was a day of complete nonsense. The height of it came when a guy called 911 because he ordered a pizza and the pizza delivery driver left without his change and never came back.
I had every intention of going to the callers house and telling him it was a civil matter and that he could be arrested for abuse of 911 but when I had my dispatcher ask what his apartment number he told her he was at the pizza place. I drove to the pizza place and encountered the male who was upset because he just got laid off his job and now the pizza guy took his money. The guy told me he had to take a taxi to the pizza place and was going to need one to get back. The man was upset because he paid with 2 $20 bills for a $25 meal and did not receive his change. The driver told the man he didn't have change and would be back. Apparently he took too long. I kept thinking about how much a taxi would cost from where the man lived to the pizza hut and back. Clearly the guy spent more money on the taxi than the pizza guy forgot. I told the man he could make a formal complaint with the pizza place manager and take them to court if he really wanted to. The man got his change back and was happy-telling me all he really wanted was for me to hear him out (which I easily could have done at his apartment....).
For actual police work.....I received a call from a citizen that she was driving on the interstate when she observed a vehicle matching the description of hers which had been stolen about a week ago. The lady had left her vehicle outside in her driveway running to get warm before she got inside. (Note: PEOPLE PLEASE STOP DOING THIS. People walk around looking for these easy cars to steal). The lady had an extra key fob and anytime she would see a similar car to hers would hit the lock door button to see if the lights flashed. The lady got off the highway and turned around and came back to the car and hit the button and sure enough the car lights flashed. She didn't wait at the car but got off at the next exit and waited at a gas station for me. I stopped by the car before meeting her and saw the backseat was full of what looked to be stolen clothes still with the tags on them. The passenger side front window was busted out and the keys were nowhere to be found. The car was stolen from a neighboring agency and had a license plate on it belonging to a similar car of a different color. The plate hadn't been reported stolen yet but I'm sure it will be soon. The lady had the car towed through her insurance to a tow yard awaiting the original agency to finish their investigation (fingerprints, photos, etc) but at least she got her car back in relatively decent condition for a stolen car.
I had every intention of going to the callers house and telling him it was a civil matter and that he could be arrested for abuse of 911 but when I had my dispatcher ask what his apartment number he told her he was at the pizza place. I drove to the pizza place and encountered the male who was upset because he just got laid off his job and now the pizza guy took his money. The guy told me he had to take a taxi to the pizza place and was going to need one to get back. The man was upset because he paid with 2 $20 bills for a $25 meal and did not receive his change. The driver told the man he didn't have change and would be back. Apparently he took too long. I kept thinking about how much a taxi would cost from where the man lived to the pizza hut and back. Clearly the guy spent more money on the taxi than the pizza guy forgot. I told the man he could make a formal complaint with the pizza place manager and take them to court if he really wanted to. The man got his change back and was happy-telling me all he really wanted was for me to hear him out (which I easily could have done at his apartment....).
For actual police work.....I received a call from a citizen that she was driving on the interstate when she observed a vehicle matching the description of hers which had been stolen about a week ago. The lady had left her vehicle outside in her driveway running to get warm before she got inside. (Note: PEOPLE PLEASE STOP DOING THIS. People walk around looking for these easy cars to steal). The lady had an extra key fob and anytime she would see a similar car to hers would hit the lock door button to see if the lights flashed. The lady got off the highway and turned around and came back to the car and hit the button and sure enough the car lights flashed. She didn't wait at the car but got off at the next exit and waited at a gas station for me. I stopped by the car before meeting her and saw the backseat was full of what looked to be stolen clothes still with the tags on them. The passenger side front window was busted out and the keys were nowhere to be found. The car was stolen from a neighboring agency and had a license plate on it belonging to a similar car of a different color. The plate hadn't been reported stolen yet but I'm sure it will be soon. The lady had the car towed through her insurance to a tow yard awaiting the original agency to finish their investigation (fingerprints, photos, etc) but at least she got her car back in relatively decent condition for a stolen car.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Being Afraid In Your Own Home
So yesterday I got a call from a wife who got in a dispute with her husband after he threatened her while drunk. She got extremely afraid and left the house with just her keys and car and called 911 a few hours later to go get her items because she was adamant about filing for divorce. The wife was still afraid of her husband and wanted me there to help prevent anything from happening. I walk to the front of the house as the wife went to unlock the front door but the husband had pushed the sofa in front of the front door (there was no other traditional entry/exit point into the home) and we could not get into the house. I felt bad for the wife but there was nothing else I could do for her and told her what she could do in civil court to gain access to the home if she kept getting refused entry by her husband.
Another call I received was a call from a mother stating she was at home with her kids when three teens armed with handguns approached her front door and started knocking on the door and ringing the doorbell repeatedly. She told me she quieted her kids down, called 911, and prayed the teens would leave. The mother just recently moved into the home with her family and stated she didn't feel safe already. The teens left into the backyard before I arrived and I told the family I would check the backyard with a few other officers and make sure they weren't back there. We checked the backyard and the teens were long gone. I told the mother not to hesitate at all if she saw anyone out-of-place looking and give us a call.
First off teens shouldn't be walking around with guns. Sadly it's an everyday occurrence for us. The least I can do is help provide a sense of security for honest people in their own homes.
Another call I received was a call from a mother stating she was at home with her kids when three teens armed with handguns approached her front door and started knocking on the door and ringing the doorbell repeatedly. She told me she quieted her kids down, called 911, and prayed the teens would leave. The mother just recently moved into the home with her family and stated she didn't feel safe already. The teens left into the backyard before I arrived and I told the family I would check the backyard with a few other officers and make sure they weren't back there. We checked the backyard and the teens were long gone. I told the mother not to hesitate at all if she saw anyone out-of-place looking and give us a call.
First off teens shouldn't be walking around with guns. Sadly it's an everyday occurrence for us. The least I can do is help provide a sense of security for honest people in their own homes.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Rough Few Days and Violence in the Streets
Sorry for not writing lately. It has been an extremely rough last few weeks. The state where I work has lost two law enforcement officers just recently. We buried one killed by gunfire (in the county where I work) just to have lost another one due to a motor vehicle accident just two days after the funeral. I only had my mourning band off my badge for a period of one day. This job can be very dangerous. You never know when your last day will come. Just more of a reason to live life to the fullest every day. Tell the ones whom you love that you love them, enjoy every hug, every kiss for just a little longer. Our time on this earth is just a small blip in the vast history of recorded time but that small blip has a lifetime of stories-however long that story is.
Yesterday was a busy day. I signed on just to be immediately sent to a call where two guys were arguing with one displaying a gun. I arrive on scene to be met by a security officer (just wearing a t-shirt and pants with a gun on his hip....) who told me he approached a male who was just hanging out in a breezeway at the apartment complex. The male got upset with the security officer and allegedly displayed a weapon. Now the security officer was armed and I know for a fact if anyone displays a weapon at me in a threatening manner just exactly what I would do so I didn't believe for a second the guy most likely had a weapon. I asked the security officer where the man went and what he wanted to do. The security officer told me he walked near another set of buildings and wanted me to issue him a criminal trespass citation.
I went to find the male with another officer and found him perfectly fitting the description security sent me. I asked the male if he had identification and told him exactly what was going on and what I was going to do. As soon as I saw his information I noticed he lived at the building where he was supposedly loitering in the breezeway. I told the security officer that I couldn't trespass the male from where he lived and if he wanted him gone, the complex would need to evict him (whether his name was on the lease or not). I also told the security officer he needed to wear something saying he was security because he was on the fast track to pissing somebody off and putting his own self at great risk for bodily harm or death by encountering the wrong person the way he had been doing.
Later on in the day I had a call of a dispute with a knife on my beat. At one of the apartment complexes I had a female armed with a knife threatening everyone inside. I arrive at the apartment to find out that the female had already left. The female turned out to be the sister of the resident who stated her sister got drunk and took a knife demanding money. The woman's boyfriend managed to wrestle the knife away from her and she took off in a vehicle with some random person. It takes a lot of guts to wrestle a knife away from someone-especially if they're drunk. I would NOT recommend it to anyone. Thankfully the sister never came back during my shift. I can't imagine having family problems like that. This job definitely makes you appreciate your own life situations.
Yesterday was a busy day. I signed on just to be immediately sent to a call where two guys were arguing with one displaying a gun. I arrive on scene to be met by a security officer (just wearing a t-shirt and pants with a gun on his hip....) who told me he approached a male who was just hanging out in a breezeway at the apartment complex. The male got upset with the security officer and allegedly displayed a weapon. Now the security officer was armed and I know for a fact if anyone displays a weapon at me in a threatening manner just exactly what I would do so I didn't believe for a second the guy most likely had a weapon. I asked the security officer where the man went and what he wanted to do. The security officer told me he walked near another set of buildings and wanted me to issue him a criminal trespass citation.
I went to find the male with another officer and found him perfectly fitting the description security sent me. I asked the male if he had identification and told him exactly what was going on and what I was going to do. As soon as I saw his information I noticed he lived at the building where he was supposedly loitering in the breezeway. I told the security officer that I couldn't trespass the male from where he lived and if he wanted him gone, the complex would need to evict him (whether his name was on the lease or not). I also told the security officer he needed to wear something saying he was security because he was on the fast track to pissing somebody off and putting his own self at great risk for bodily harm or death by encountering the wrong person the way he had been doing.
Later on in the day I had a call of a dispute with a knife on my beat. At one of the apartment complexes I had a female armed with a knife threatening everyone inside. I arrive at the apartment to find out that the female had already left. The female turned out to be the sister of the resident who stated her sister got drunk and took a knife demanding money. The woman's boyfriend managed to wrestle the knife away from her and she took off in a vehicle with some random person. It takes a lot of guts to wrestle a knife away from someone-especially if they're drunk. I would NOT recommend it to anyone. Thankfully the sister never came back during my shift. I can't imagine having family problems like that. This job definitely makes you appreciate your own life situations.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)