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#118 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Mon Dec 30, 2002 6:31 pm Subject: Sad story lastnightsshift Offline Offline
I just wanted to drop you all a quick note wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Recently I was told about a site that I should visit. After about 2 weeks of the link sitting in my inbox I got around to taking a look. Finding this site when I did seems like perfect timing. This is definitely good information to have as many of us will attend celebrations on New Years Eve.
I contacted, the site owner, Jennie and asked if I could include her story in my next email along with her link and email address. This is what she said:
"The more that read my story the better chance I have of touching people and maybe changing someone's life. If just one person reads my story and never ever drinks and drives again than what I have been thru will not be in vain... "
Please go to www.lifeonthebeat.com for Jennies link. I am sure she would be very happy to hear from the LOTB members. I'll put her link on my main page for you all to get to easily. She has several pictures of the accident, including her vehicle, the accident scene, and the damage done to her body.
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My name is Jennie and I am a victim of a drunk driver. The crash happened on April 23rd of 2000. My boyfriend and I had been out of town at a friends house. Before we could leave a very large storm moved through the area, so we decided to wait till the storm was over to leave. It was around 1:30 in the morning before it was over. I don't like being on the road that late, but that morning was Easter Sunday. We needed to get home to the kids, so we went. We were driving on Highway 80 in Mesquite Texas, and the drunk driver and his sober passenger were on a local side street, that came to a dead-end onto the service road of the highway. The drunk and the passenger were fighting. The passenger wanted the drunk to pull over and let him drive, but he would not. He said he had told his Mother that he would never let anyone else ever drive her new car. So instead he drove and was supposed to yield at a yield sign, but instead he came to a complete stop and then floored it. He jumped the little concrete curb that the sign was on and ran over the sign. He then jumped the curb of the service road and flew in the air off of the service road and the embankment and onto the highway and into us. He hit us head on and my side(the passenger side). Mac was pinned in the truck but thank God he was not hurt seriously. He had three broken ribs, a cut on his chin and a large puncture wound to his leg and a broken finger. I was ejected onto the highway, where I landed right in the middle of the two vehicles. I suffered many injuries. I had two breaks to my sternum, nine breaks to my pelvis, and broke both femurs. I was taken to the nearest trauma center in Dallas, called Baylor University Medical Center of Dallas. I then went into emergency surgery to repair my legs. The surgeon put a steel rod in my right leg and a plate and screws in my left leg just above the knee. I spent the next three and a half weeks in ICU on a respirator and in a coma. A few days after the crash the doctors realized that the tissue and skin in my legs was dying. This shirring was caused when the flesh was torn loose from the muscle and its blood supply at the impact. I had four operations cutting this dead flesh out. Then another operation later to do skin graphs to close up the holes in both legs. Due to all these surgeries and the crash I was given fifteen pints of blood during these weeks. During all this time I was listed as critical and my family was being told that the doctors did not know if they could save either one of my legs or my life. I did not have to have surgery on my pelvis because I was in the coma and immobile. The doctor said it would heal fine that way. Late in the fourth week, I woke up and was weaned off of the respirator. I was moved to a room on the orthopedic floor and was there for another five weeks. After the skin graphs I was moved to a rehab hospital. I spent another four weeks living there learning to sit up, stand, and walk again. When I was released I still had to go to out patient rehab three days a week for four to five hours per day. I did this for six months, then had to go twice a week for two to three hours per day and did this for another two months. I went from a bed, to a wheelchair, to a walker and now must walk with a cane. I had six surgeries total and need two or three more. I have permanent nerve damage in my left foot, along with a dropped foot. My right leg is over an inch shorter, that causes a severe limp and back problems. I still have a lot of pain, and a lot of trouble walking. I have severe swelling problems and have developed Heterotopic bone buildup. It is a calcium formation that formed at all break sights. It has caused my right knee not to bend and is a knot the size of a large grapefruit. Also, I have arthritis now, at the age of twenty-nine.
As for the drunk driver. His name is Charlie Kyle Knoerr and he was seventeen at the time. He was driving his Mothers new Mustang GT. He got a total of six stitches. His passenger received a broken collarbone. The drunk who tried at the scene to get his passenger to say he was driving was tested at the hospital and his BAC was .195 almost three times the legal limit. He was charged with one felony count of intoxication assault. He plead guilty and received ten years of probation, one hundred and eighty days in the Dallas County jail. He has to do community service with the local MADD chapter. He also has to attend several classes and programs. He must pay restitution, and has a breath tester on his car, that has to be monitored monthly. He also had no insurance at all.
This has changed my life forever. I will never be the same again. Not only do I have to suffer from physical and mental pain I am no longer able to work. I cannot go to my eleven year old daughter's girlscout trips and school activities. My four year old son had to be put into a daycare. He was eighteen months old at the time and had never stayed with anyone outside of the family. I cannot pick him up and carry him around like I should be able to. This has also changed my family and friends lives. My daughter calls me from anywhere she goes, just to see if I am still there and ok. Even if she is just at a friends house a few houses down the street. We had to have a child advocate from MADD(Forget-Me Not Program) come to talk to her several times, because she would not talk about the crash at all. She would only get very upset and mad if anyone tried to talk to her about it or if anyone mentioned Charlie's name. My son has grown up to know that if something is wrong he has to run to me, because he knows I can't run to him. My Mother gets nervous if I am ten minutes late from anywhere. She also is stressed and tired all the time because she has to help me with my kids and everything else. Mac and I both have very awful nightmares and I have flashbacks a lot. I just thank GOD everyday that I have the family and best friend that I have. If not for them I could not have come through this at all.
Jennie
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Russell
As I mentioned there is an addition to this story. You can read it by visiting www.lifeonthebeat.com and clicking on the "Sad Story" link.
This list is currently over 3200 members. Help this email list to grow. Please forward these emails to your colleagues, friends, and family! They can join this free service by writing to me at russ@lifeonthebeat.com or by simply visiting my website http://www.lifeonthebeat.com and clicking on SUBSCRIBE at the main page. Stay in touch and let me know what you think.
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#119 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Sat May 3, 2003 10:11 pm Subject: Long time no see...... russ@lifeonthebeat.com
I know..........I know........it's been FOREVER.
I think its time to get back to writing some police stories.
A few months back I got transferred from patrol to a detective position. My assignment is in a new division called Neighborhood Preservation Unit (NPU). There are 4 officers assigned to this unit. It's been a great change after 5 years on patrol. It's like a whole new job, which is a lot of the reason I have not been writing lately. I finally am feeling comfortable in the position and feel like I am getting the hang of it.
Our main duties in the NPU are to focus on specific problems that plague certain parts of the city. These duties include dealing with drug and party houses, marking and towing abandoned vehicles, and dealing with certain landlord tenant issues.
Some of the transition from patrol to this position has been tough, because it's a totally new approach to police work.
The most exciting part of my job is probably when we go on search warrants. I am still in the learning phase when it comes to search warrants so I have not written any on my own, but my Sgt. is very experienced and very smart when it comes to writing and serving a search warrant.
Let me tell you about one of the many warrants we have served.
Our team had been getting nuisance complaints about a certain house. We tried every avenue to deal with the problems, but nothing seemed to work. Routinely we would come in on Monday morning to find that the house had yet another report of a loud party, with underage alcohol consumption as well as drug use. Then we got reports of the house being rented to at least 6 college students. The house in an area of the city zoned for "single family dwellings". This means it should only be rented to ONE family or limited to 3 unrelated individuals.
After contacting the homeowner (several times) and the renters (several times) to inform them of the problems and getting nowhere, my SGT began intense surveillance of the residence. Through his investigation he was able to obtain a search warrant for the house. For the sake of officers safety I will not go into the details of the investigation.
The Sgt called the officers in the NPU together and detailed how the warrant would be executed.
When the plan was set we all went to the house. I approached the house and was the second officer through the front door. Luckily, (for the tenants) the front door was unlocked. As I entered the house my heart was pounding and my breathing was rapid because of the adrenaline rush caused by not knowing what would happen next. After securing the living room area we moved swiftly through the house. It was lightening fast and the plan worked to perfection.
Once we had secured all of the people inside the house, we began searching the house. Almost immediately, the Sgt. located several marijuana plants. All of the plants had been uprooted and were now hanging from the bar in a closet to dry. My job was to take photos and assist with the search. I snapped some shots and talked to the Sgt. a bit. He asked me to look around for a "grow" because they were likely cultivating the plants inside the house somewhere.
As the search continued we came across several items of drug paraphernalia. I photographed each item and then bagged it for evidence. I was disappointed because the room I chose to search was filthy and had only one marijuana pipe in it. I must have scoured the room and its walk-in closet for 30 minutes before finding that pipe. All of the other officers were busy locating and documenting several different drugs and drug paraphernalia.
We were all in a good mood because we knew that the months of problems at this house were about to end. The landlord was contacted and soon arrived. He explained that he would evict his tenants immediately.
There was one last room in the basement to search, so the Sgt. and I began the processing it. The room was a basic set up. There was a mattress on the floor against the east wall, near the door. There was a desk and computer on the south wall and a dresser under the window on the west wall. I began searching the walk-in closet on the north side of the room. It was piled with boxes and had rope stretched across the inside of the closet instead of a bar to hang clothing from.
We found a baggie with a few marijuana seeds and stems on the floor of that room, but really nothing else to brag about. Once we had finished the systematic search of the room, we began talking about the warrant. The Sgt. as almost shocked that we did not find any area they had used to grow the marijuana plants found upstairs. We talked about some of the different items we located and debated on what the possible charges would be against the tenants of the house.
As we spoke, I began flipping through the pages of a book sitting on top of a dresser. Just as I was about to put the book down, I opened the page to a large marijuana leaf. It was pressed and drying, in the middle of the book. We both laughed at the fact that I had finally "stumbled" onto something.
He left the room as I took one last picture of our evidence. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something that I had not noticed the first time I searched. There was an extension cord that went behind the dresser and into the closet. At first I didn't think much of the cord.
Casually I began to follow the length of the orange cord. It led right into a small cubbyhole hidden below the staircase. An area about 12" X 12" was cut from the sheetrock. I shined my flashlight inside the open space and found what we had been looking for. A small marijuana cultivation set up had been arranged. The only thing left was the grow lights, a water bottle, and pieces of tin foil that were probably set up in a way to reflect more light toward the plants.
I laughed at how well hidden it was. The only problem is that there was a large orange extension cord coming from the cubby with a timer (like the one I use for my Christmas lights). I went upstairs and told the Sgt. that I had found the "grow". At first he didn't believe me. Not that I blame him, like most cops, I joke around 90% of the time and am serious the other 25% of the time. Hehehe.
I am happy to say that the house is now vacant and up for sale. I doubt the new owners will be as bad as the old tenants.
Everyone in the neighborhood loves the Neighborhood Preservation Officers now.
I have dozens of new photos to add to my website, so check in and see what interesting things I have stumbled into.
Stay in touch,
Russell
Russ@lifeonthebeat.com
(Note the NEW email address)
This list is currently over 3200 members. Help this email list to grow. Please forward these emails to your colleagues, friends, and family! They can join this free service by writing to me at Russ@lifeonthebeat.com or by simply visiting my website http://www.lifeonthebeat.com and clicking on SUBSCRIBE at the main page. Stay in touch and let me know what you think.
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#120 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Wed May 21, 2003 12:19 am Subject: They call it dope for a reason russ@lifeonthebeat.com
They call it dope for a reason.
Before I start, I need help for the nicknames of the three officers I work with in the Neighborhood Preservation Unit. Reply to this email if you have any good ideas. Then I can blame you all if they catch on and find out the names I am calling them in this email list.
The first nickname I need your help with is for my Sgt. No lie and no exaggeration, this guy is the best police officer ever. He is mild mannered and super hard working. His instincts to catch the bad guy are scary. I swear that he has a photographic memory because there has been several times we'll be talking about an old case and he will remember names, dates and addresses. Then on top of that he'll tell me how many times that guy has been booked into jail over the last 6 months. None of this is an exaggeration. He's a stud. Having said that he's has no ego. He'd gladly make a huge arrest and then allow others to take the credit for it without thinking twice.
How can I come up with a nickname for a cop's cop?
The next guy is a big bald friendly officer. When I came upstairs to this new position he was there to answer any of my questions. He showed me how he does his case management and helped me with all the other parts of my new job. This guy is friendly to everyone and would do anything to help a fellow officer. The best thing about him though, is that he will voice his honest opinion when it is needed. He won't talk behind your back. I really like that. I like knowing where I stand.
Last, but no least is another good guy. He's about 55 years old, but one of the newest cops on the department. He's a good hard worker and keeps quiet. He lives in the same town where I grew up, so we have a lot in common. We know a lot of the same people. His specialty is really the zoning end of our job. He knows all of the zoning laws and knows where to find them. People think he looks real mean because he has this look about him that says "I don't-take-no-crap-from-no-one". But, being the newest on the street, he still has that good attitude of a less hardened cop.
There you go. I need you help. Hehehe.
I do have a good call to tell you about.
We responded to a house in the south end of town to serve an arrest warrant on a lady. She's a career criminal and knows us as well as we know her. Long story short, we knock on the door and she answers. She invites us in and we talk to her about the warrant. The Sgt. looks across the room and he sees a marijuana pipe. It's sitting on a shelf partially concealed by the dress of a ceramic doll. Needless to say along with the warrant she was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. We teased the Sgt for a week because he "looked up that dolls dress" to get drug paraphernalia. Trust me, it was funny at the time.
So here is the best part. A few days ago the Sgt. gets information of that same lady involved in credit card fraud. He decided to knock on the door again to see where it would get us. I am thinking to myself that she's learned her lesson and won't talk to us in a million years.
I pulled up down the street and stood by the back door, thinking to myself that there is no way she'd answer. The next thing you know, I hear the Sgt asking me to come around front because she invited us inside. She had no idea that we knew about the fraud, so she tried to make small talk. Then the Sgt. locates some property that he knows is stolen and is part of the fraud case. As soon as she realizes the REAL reason that we came to her house, she began stuttering and trying to come up with an explanation we would buy. None of it is working, so she's talking fast, making every effort to stay out of jail.
While the Sgt. was talking to her, I was looking around. I turned and saw the ceramic doll in the exact location it had been a couple weeks ago. Just then I something caught my eye. I laughed out loud as I realized what it was.
On the shelf, directly under the dolls dress, was a big, fat, marijuana joint!
The Sgt. looked at me and lowered his eyebrows in confusion. I then gave him a code we have for drugs. As she talked she didn't even notice my conversation with the Sgt. I then said "same place" very quietly. She continued to talk. Without missing a beat, the Sgt. asked her about her about the joint.
She nearly died.
THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT DOPE!
Russell Russ@lifeonthebeat.com (Note the NEW email address)
This list is currently over 3200 members. Help this email list to grow. Please forward these emails to your colleagues, friends, and family! They can join this free service by writing to me at Russ@lifeonthebeat.com or by simply visiting my website http://www.lifeonthebeat.com and clicking on SUBSCRIBE at the main page. Stay in touch and let me know what you think about those nicknames.
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#121 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Tue Jun 10, 2003 6:31 am Subject: Nicknames! russ@lifeonthebeat.com
I want to thank you all for your assistance. After reading hundreds of suggestions for nicknames I have picked out the three that jumped out at me.
For the Sgt. I will use the name Kodak. This is a great play on a name because he has a nearly photographic memory. I like how it is similar to the great 70's cop, Kojak. A lot of people picked this name, must have been an obvious choice.
A nickname for the veteran officer who is a big bald, soft-hearted fella was very tough to come up with. I could not nail one down that seemed to fit 100%. But, staying with the cop theme, I decided to follow the people that suggested the name "Bull".
The last nickname, for the 55 year old rookie officer from the zoning department, was also difficult to come up with. Following many suggestions lead me to the nickname of "Zoner".
Thank you all for your help on a very difficult task.
Over the last week I have been very busy. I made a traffic stop on a car and arrested the driver on several charges. Upon searching the vehicle, with the help of Kodak, I located everything from drug paraphernalia, to stolen property. In the center armrest area of the vehicle I found a hidden compartment. Inside was a stolen .38 revolver! It was fully loaded and ready to go. I have little doubt in my mind that the suspect would have used the gun if he had been given the opportunity.
After making this arrest I stumbled across several recent pawn tickets. He admitted that the items were stolen. While looking into the stolen property I have been able to confirm several thousand dollars in stolen property from multiple industrial supply stores. Just about the time I thought I had it all wrapped up a pawn shop owner told me to about a guitar this suspect had pawned. While looking into that property I was able to find 4 stolen guitars that valued about $5000.
It's been the most in-depth report I have ever worked. In many ways I wonder if its worth it. It many other ways it's the most rewarding case I have worked in a very long time.
I'll let you in on the details soon. In the meantime I am heading into work early to attempt to finish up on the narrative of the report. So far I am 11 pages into the report and I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Stay in touch,
Russell
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#122 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Wed Jun 11, 2003 12:07 am Subject: What was I thinking? russ@lifeonthebeat.com
Now that I have a little bit of time to sit and write I wanted to give you a taste of the call I mentioned yesterday.
It all started when patrol got quite busy. The neighborhood preservation guys are normally not required to respond to calls from dispatch, but when it gets busy everyone needs to help out. I love the excitement of a call in progress so I jump at it any chance I get.
Dispatch advised of a caller reporting a retail theft that just occurred. They explained that the suspect fled the area, but a witness obtained a license plate number. I quickly ran the combination of numbers through my in-car computer and found that it was "not on file". I assumed that it was most likely that the reporting party gave the wrong number.
Traffic seemed very heavy and I did not think I would ever get to the scene of the crime. It seems like the only time people DO go the speed limit is when I need to get somewhere!
The business of the theft was in an industrial area. I had never heard of the business before because it was a small shop that sells construction tools to specialized companies. There is two stores within a half of a block area and as luck would have it, I pulled into the wrong business.
I pulled to the back of the parking lot and flipped open my laptop screen to get the correct address. Just then I saw a man with a cordless telephone run out of a business to my left toward my car. He yelled toward me and asked if I was there to speak to him. As I began to pull over to his business, the correct business, he frantically told me the story. I began to take notes with the intent of making a simple theft report. I knew it was going to be a short one because he did not have the correct plate number for the vehicle. I didn't want to cut him off as he spoke because I could tell he desperately wanted me to catch the thief.
As he went on with the details he explained that after he obtained the plate and called police, the suspect called him on the telephone. Apparently the suspect saw him get the plate number and called back to make a deal. I was laughing because I didn't expect to hear such a story. The reporting party then explained that that suspect should be back any time. Then he commented on how I was such a good police officer because I purposely pulled into the business next door. (I never did tell him it was an accident). Hehehe I remember that he mentioned that the suspect appeared young. He thought he was a teenager or younger adult.
Suddenly I saw the suspect vehicle speed past on the main road. The color of the vehicle stood out perfectly. I knew it must be the suspect and I knew that he did not see me. As the reporting party spoke, I stated calmly, "there he goes".
"THAT'S THE GUY, THAT'S THE GUY!"
In an instant I pulled behind the suspect vehicle with my lights flashing. I began to call out to dispatch and the suspect made a sudden turn and then pulled into a parking lot. At this point I was certain that he had seen me and was not going to stop on his own. I flipped on the siren and stuck my vehicle right on his rear bumper as he exited the parking lot.
The siren began to wail and I figured that from his reaction we were headed for a pursuit. I began to race the scenario through my mind. Knowing that the crime was minor and traffic was heavy, I had a lot to consider. Our policy does not allow for a pursuit in such conditions. To be honest even if policy was more relaxed I may not have followed the suspect for a long distance.
Just as quickly as it started.....it ended. The guy quickly pulled over.
Here is my second confession.
As I approached the vehicle I thought back to what the witness had said. In my mind I figured that the suspect was a teenager who had made a mistake. I really don't recall thinking that the suspect could be a dangerous criminal who would kill a cop just to get away. I have made thousands of traffic stops and used the top notched officer safety skills, but I don't remember using the skills I had been taught. I just don't recall.
Upon reaching the drivers side window I asked the guy to grab his drivers license, registration and insurance information. He immediately began to apologize. I was still in the mindset that this was a "routine" theft call. As he began the apology I asked him to step out of the car. My intent was to speak to him eye to eye. (One of the ten fatal errors that get cops killed) I relaxed too soon.
As we stepped up on the sidewalk, out of traffic, I began to chew on him for not stopping for me. I explained I was not upset at all that he committed a theft, but he needed to respect the lights and siren so that others did not get hurt.
While speaking to him he confessed the entire crime and even admitted that he had two valid arrest warrants. I kept him calm by talking to him with respect and explaining that we would deal with the situation in a professional manner.
Just about that time Officer Kodak pulled up. I popped the cuffs on the guy and began to carefully search him. In his back pocket was a clear tube with brown and black substance burned and melted inside of it. I was a little confused so I asked him what he used it for. With his reaction, a lowered head, I looked a little closer. At that time I could see that it appeared to be some sort of drug paraphernalia. He admitted that he was a heroin addict and used it to smoke heroin.
I showed the item to Kodak and asked him if he knew what it was. The suspect challenged him by saying that he could not identify it. As quick as a whistle Kodak fired back his conclusion to the suspect. "You have been chasing the dragon". The kid looked puzzled. Kodak then explained. "You have been smoking heroin with this pen tube, you know CHASING THE DRAGON". The kid seemed a little shocked that Kodak would know in an instant what the item was used for.
Kodak then stood with the guy while I began to search the car. I found other items that related to drug use, but no quantity of drugs.
In the center console of the vehicle, within easy access to the driver of the vehicle was a loaded gun. It was a revolver, loaded and ready to go. He had it concealed just out of my view. When I first saw it, I just stopped. That's when I began to think about all the officers' safety rules. What rules did I violate? What did I do well? What if this guy were just a little more desperate? What if I had left him in the car instead of pulling him out to talk? Who knows???
He was booked in on several charges. I did extensive research found that he has been on a recent crime spree. I was able to locate more than 50 items he had pawned within the last 6 weeks. He admitted that he is so strung out on heroin that he needs 20 balloons (chips) just to make it back to normal. He told us that friends he has who are severely addicted to heroin only smoke 3-5 balloons a day.
I worked on the report for more than 5 solid days and nights. I called dozens of pawn shops, many of which were very uncooperative. It seems almost criminal how some of these pawn shops work, but that's another story for another time.
At one point I stumbled across a guitar he had recently pawned. That one guitar led to 3 more guitars. Another lucky move lead to the original owner of the guitars. He was so happy when I called to report to him that I located his property. He was laughing at how the cops in his city are lazy but the cops in our city are the finest in law enforcement. I just smiled through the telephone. Even though I hear that a lot, I figure that it must go both ways. I took it as a compliment.
By the time I finished the report I referred 52 charges to the County Attorney. I was in contact with the United States Attorney as well. If I get really lucky I may be able to get the case filed federally. The fines would be much stiffer.
In a case such as this with stolen property, drugs, and a stolen (loaded) firearm, they may be interested. I put a little extra care into the case to help it all make sense for the lawyers. (Us police officers know how easy it is to confuse a lawyer!) Hehehe
Oh, by the way. I just checked with the jail. Luckily our suspect is still there, however his bail is set at $2,500. That means he only needs to pay $250 to a bondsman to be free.
Such is life.
Life on the Beat.
I just collect the evidence and refer it to the right places. I can't deal out the punishment.
Russell
This list is currently over 3200 members. Help this email list to grow. Please forward these emails to your colleagues, friends, and family! They can join this free service by writing to me at Russ@lifeonthebeat.com or by simply visiting my website http://www.lifeonthebeat.com and clicking on SUBSCRIBE at the main page.
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123 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Tue Jul 29, 2003 7:38 am Subject: DO NOT OPEN ANY ATTACHMENTS russ@lifeonthebeat.com
I just recieved an email that appears to have come from ME. I did not send anything with an attachment and I never would.
DO not open any attachements.
I will follow up on this and find out what happened.
Russell
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#124 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Wed Aug 20, 2003 12:18 pm Subject: Officer involved shooting russ@lifeonthebeat.com
As I laced up the boots and fastened all the buckles on my belt, I didn't have a clue how the day was about to unfold. I was still a bit sleepy, but I have never been a morning person anyway, so I shook out the cobwebs and headed out to my vehicle.
During the 8 minute drive to the Police Station I usually crank up the police radio and listen to all the grave units check off duty, while the new crew begins to check on. I flipped open the laptop, mounted on a stand next to me and listened to the clicks and beeps as it began to boot up.
This morning was different, though none are considered "routine". One officer was talking about calling in a negotiator, while another was speaking the Sgt. about changing his shotgun ammo from Slugs to Buckshot. I knew immediately that there was a big call in progress.
As soon as I could log into the city computer system I could see the location of the call I was listening to. The information on the screen said "suspicious male" and gave the address. I stepped on the gas and headed toward the call. As I headed down the freeway, I knew that some people would be looking at my marked vehicle and saying "why do the police get to speed". Today I didn't care. I knew that today was different. I wasn't speeding because I was late to work. Today I had a reason.
I listened to the chatter on the radio and wondered how things would play out. I could hear one of the officers updating the on duty Sgt., "the apartment to the north is evacuated". I could hear the voice tones beginning to change. It was apparent that the situation was critical.
When I rounded the corner I could see several patrol cars scattering the roadway. They were blocking the street from through traffic, but it was obvious that the cars were parked very quickly and hastily. None of the officers were in the area.
I stopped and stayed about 2 houses away from the incident. I couldn't see anything from my location, but I didn't want to go running into the middle of something.
Just then I heard several "pops". They were all together and quick. Like a string of firecrackers, all bunched up. I rammed my vehicle into gear and headed up the road.
I could hear the Sgt. advising everyone on the radio "shots fired". Then I heard someone call for an ambulance. Not good.
One officer then stepped out into the roadway waving in the ambulance, who had been positioned nearby.
As I approached the incident location, I could see the suspect on the ground. He was not moving and it was obvious that he had suffered a fatal head injury.
I learned at that moment that one of the officers had been shot by the suspect. My heart sunk. The officer was slowly walking toward the ambulance and had his shirt tails hanging out. I asked him if he was alright. He said that he was just fine. He pointed to his lower leg. Two small holes tattered his pants. He pulled up the leg of his pants and showed me a "cut", where a bullet had grazed his calf.
At this point, the Lt in charge asked me to "stay with the suspect". I assisted the ambulance crew as they loaded him into the ambulance. I drove the ambulance, so that they would have a full crew to work on the suspect.
Upon our arrival at the hospital, the ER doc didn't take long to pronounce the suspect "dead".
The rest of the day played out through a long twisted string of events, including a huge investigation by several other police departments, county officials and others.
What an unreal set of events.
My understanding of the case is that it had been going on for several hours. One officer had been in a high speed chase several hours earlier. The suspect crashed and fled. Later, officers were called to a "suspicious male" looking into vehicles. When officers arrived, the suspect pointed a gun at the officers and then turned the gun on himself. The situation turned into a stand off. Officers tried every thing they possibly could to help talk the suspect out of "killing himself". After a while the suspect shot at an officer. Officers returned fire, though its not clear to me how everything unfolded.
I learned also that the suspect was found to be the same man involved in the high-speed chase. He stole the gun during a parked vehicle just before officers were called to the "suspicious male".
Obviously there are a lot of details I am leaving out of the description of this story, but at least you have an idea. The investigation will be ongoing for quite some period of time. It's just unreal how the day played out.
I was several hours late getting home, but my feelings of "the job" had been altered in the last 12 hours. I definitely had a different mindset as I took off the belt and boots.
Russell
http://www.lifeonthebeat.com
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#125 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Sat Oct 4, 2003 1:38 am Subject: I remember russ@lifeonthebeat.com
I remember.
Oh, I could write a book. I really should. I have so many memories. I'll write down my thoughts tonight, this is the best way to get it all out, so I can start over again. Don't get the idea that I am on the edge. Don't get that worry that I could go "postal" at any given moment. Just read and ponder for a while. Think about what really goes on in a cops mind. Letting the average person see it through our eyes is what is important to me.
My first memory of police work is as clear today as the day it happened. The first day I put on the uniform, I looked into the mirror with that big ole' smile. The only wrinkles I could see were the ones on the sides of my mouth as I had that huge smile. I remember looking into that mirror and making a simple promise. I promised myself not to change. I remember looking at myself and making a promise that I would not turn into the thick-skinned, salty-old-veteran, know-it-all, that all cops seem to become.
Tonight, as I sit here, in the darkness, I think about that promise I made to myself. I wonder if I have broken that promise. I wonder how close I have come to the despicable description I had of those cops.
A few things I remember over the years. I remember one night when an officer went out on a traffic accident in the middle of the night. It was a night so quiet you could hear a pin drop on the other side of the city. I remember hearing his voice on the radio as he arrived and called for a wrecker in that "no big deal" voice. I remember a few seconds later as he screamed over the radio upon finding the driver nearly dead with a severe head injury. A local student on his way home, without a seatbelt, had fallen asleep and crashed into a cement wall. I remember that night.
I remember getting a call to a man down, not conscious and not breathing. I always hate calls like this. I remember this one though because it was the first suicide I was assigned as the case officer. I remember the blood that poured from his head. I remember his body that was curled on the floor. I remember the family that stood there looking at such and awful sight. I wish I had someone to blame. I remember that night.
Speaking of suicide, there is another one burnt deep in my mind. A man raising two kids on his own, got into an argument with his girlfriend and hung himself in the closet. It was a strange one because he used a bed sheet to wrap around his neck until he passed out. What I remember the most is the note he left behind. It was not one of apology, but one of blame. He almost evil in the tones he used as he blamed others for his pain. What I remember most is those two kids. I remember that day.
I remember the day a friend of mine was gunned down while on duty. He was a damn good cop. He was an even better husband and father. Another "routine" traffic stop where the cop dies and the bad guy spends life in jail. I remember the funeral. I remember the public outcry, but I remember how fast that all faded. I remember Joe.
There is another call I remember. It was a cold January day and it was snowing hard. At about 8:30 in the morning officers a few blocks away were called to a suspicious male. I started rolling that way. I remember hearing the call progress through the voices on the radio. It started as the suspect tried to flee in a stolen vehicle. Then he tried to run. Before I knew it I heard one officer yelling "shots fired, shots fired". The next memory I have of that call is "we've got an officer hit" the transmission was then garbled. The next thing I remember hearing is "one down". As I arrived I remember looking down the street and seeing the bad guy down in the street and the officer examining his wounds. I remember the feelings of relief. I remember just about every detail of that day.
One night several years ago after making an arrest, I remember how things went from bad to worse. A group of men into a store and jumped a couple other guys. They all were beat up pretty bad. The first group was just leaving when we arrived. I remember the pain of sorting out all the details and then arresting several of the men. As I went to place one of the men into the rear of my patrol car, he spit blood all over and attempted to spit it on me. I remember as he and I then went to the ground as I avoided the sickening fluids from his mouth. I remember talking to him on the ground, asking him to calm down and then helping him into my car. The next thing I remember is the lawsuit he filed for "violating his civil rights". I remember the papers talking about police brutality. I remember how they took "his" side and didn't care to mention the truth. I remember all the reports I had to write on this case. I remember depositions and meeting with lawyers. And then I remember the case being tossed. I remember the day I got the call saying it was all over. I remember no mention of all the wear and tear on a young cop.
I still remember the promise I made in the mirror that day, however the wrinkles I see are not from the smiles. The promise I made that day seemed so simple. How could a cop ever go 20 years WITHOUT turning into the thick-skinned, salty-old-veteran, know-it-all, that all cops seem to become?
Today is my sixth anniversary of being a full-time police officer.
Russell
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#126 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Sun Jan 4, 2004 12:29 pm Subject: Domestic Violence and Police Brutality russ@lifeonthebeat.com
Domestic Violence and Police Brutality
While on patrol in the north end of town, dispatch advised of a caller screaming for help from police. The address was in the center of a huge apartment complex. There is no doubt we respond to more calls at this complex than any other area in town.
Another officer advised that he was arriving on scene, just as I rounded the corner into the complex. I parked at the rear of the apartment and walked along side the building, where just inside, a suspect was likely waiting for our arrival.
I made eye contact with the first officer just as the female "victim" walked out of a nearby apartment. She explained that she had escaped her apartment and used the neighbors' telephone to call for police.
She said all she wanted to do was go home but now he had locked all the doors and refused to allow her into the house.
We checked the guys name through our computer system and found that he had several outstanding warrants. Most of the offenses were violent in nature.
After speaking to the female for a while we were able to see that she did have some bruises and welts already forming from the assault she had endured.
We knocked on the front door of the suspect's house. He didn't answer, but he did scream out a few choice words, unfit to repeat at this time.
The next idea was a telephone call into the apartment. Surprisingly he answered. We asked to speak with him, but again heard some choice words. After a short conversation, though, he did agree to open the door. At that time he stepped out of the house and attempted to force his way past me. At that time he was advised that he was under arrest. He balked at the command. Another request was made for his compliance. As I stood there I could see his anger begin to boil. His face became red and the stance of his feet widened. He began to hunch over and doubled his fists. With that stance, there was no reason to allow him to have the first punch. The other officer immediately grabbed one arm while I grabbed the other. The suspect then tore free of our grasp. As he stepped back to gain his balance, I knew our options were limited. Either we allow him the first punch, or we beat him to it.
Just as he started to punch with his right hand, the other officer deflected it, grabbed it and pulled him off balance. The other officer reacted by thrusting a knee into the suspects stomach. Before the knee hit, the suspect winced and hunched over. With that I pushed hard a sure, forcing the suspect forward onto the ground. One second later both officers had a control hold and the suspect was rolling over onto his front side. His hands came around perfectly to a pair of waiting handcuffs.
In a flash, it was over.
As I looked up, I could see that there was quite and audience of nearby renters and bystanders. It was obvious that none of them could see what had just happened. I heard one lady yelling, "They just attacked that guy for no reason". Another person followed her comment with another anti-police smirk.
The suspect attempted to gain more sympathy by screaming and carrying on. I helped him to sit up then rise to his feet. We then began walking down the stairs from the front door of the apartment to the ground below. Suddenly, the suspect flung himself to the ground, flopping into the brick wall, as if he had been violently thrown. I leaned down and told him to grow up and that his ploy was not working. He continued yelling and demanding that he was being beaten. Again I assisted him his feet and we took a few steps toward the patrol car. He continued his loud barrage of anti police comments. He bellowed about police brutality and how his back is permanently damaged.
Finally we were able to seat him into the back of the patrol car and secure him into the seatbelt. As soon as the door was closed, his tirade came to an abrupt end. (Strange how things change when you think no one is looking).
I stood by the vehicle while the other officer obtained statements and pictures of the wounds on the victim.
I could hear a continued muttering from the people standing in the area.
It worked out well as a patrol car camera was able to capture the episode on video and audio for future reference. After checking ourselves for scrapes and bruises, the suspect was booked into jail and our reports were written. Charges were filed and the case was completed.
It was no surprise when the "victim" in this case refused to be cooperative and blamed herself for her injuries, as she "must have made him mad, so she deserved it".
Just another day on patrol I guess. When the stakes are high, the great ones answer the call for help. You do the best you can and you go on.
Next adventure, please.
Russell
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#127 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Wed Mar 3, 2004 9:10 pm Subject: Kids make it tough on us russ@lifeonthebeat.com
Kids always make police work more difficult.
That's a blanket statement, I know. The point of my next story will prove my point.
Recently I had become aware of a family that was having tough times. There were all kinds of allegations, but the meat and potatoes of it all came down to the fact that mom of 4 kids has an addiction to methamphetamine.
Sgt. Kodak and I stopped by her place last week to inquire about the very serious allegations. She was calm and for the most part, articulate. I was impressed that she "may" be one of the few that is able to kick the addiction and make it in this harsh world.
We all talked for a very long time and concluded that there were no obvious signs of drugs, paraphernalia, or other illegal activity. I left her home hoping for the best but knowing the tough times of an addict were most likely ahead.
I drove past the home several times in an effort to keep tabs on things. Less and less cars visited the home and things seemed to have calmed down.
A State worker called to speak with me about my case because of her investigation toward the safety of the children. She stated that she agreed with my assessment of the situation. While the home is NO place for ANY child to be raised, its not necessarily over the threshold of the point that kids need to be taken out of the home and placed into protective custody.
This morning I got a call from the mother. She was hysterical and making wild accusations, mentioned aliens, burglars that were painting her bathroom and much more. She told me that she needed help but said that some guy brought drugs into her house and hid them all over.
I immediately called Kodak, who was very busy today. I explained to him the fact that I really need his assistance in this case. It didn't take much and he was over to the apartment to assist. The last thing I would ever do on a call like this is be left alone. She is mentally unstable, to begin with. She also appears to be high on meth, causing the paranoia. So, when he arrived we contact her.
Once inside the house I witnessed total destruction. A collection of trash and debris littered the entire house. The residence is a 3 level apartment. The back door was completely broken and held into place by some appliance leaning up against it.
There was meat with fuzz on it, still in a sauce pan sitting on the counter. The food is unrecognizable. The smell was something that would easily kill small animals.
After a quick look around, we then located drug paraphernalia. Heroin and Meth appeared to be the most prevalent drug of choice for last nights party. There was a used syringe in the house as well. Many of the items were in direct site and reach of the 4 children living in the home.
The hard part was the two little kids in the house. The kid appeared to be a skinny 3 year old. The other a one year old baby. The baby had a dirty diaper and walked around in that until the smell got so bad. The mom did take the initiative to change the kid several times. Though his poor bottom was bright red and obviously part of a huge rash. I was shocked to learn that the skinny kid is actually 5 years old. Probably the smallest 5 year old I have ever seen.
I talked to the 5 year old for a few. He broke my heart. He was as mature as most teenagers. He knew exactly what was going on. He knew the effects of our being at the house. He knew why his mom kept crying.
He couldn't understand the fact that the drugs have such a strong hold on his mother that she may never get out of its grasp. She may never be the mom he needs. He does know that.
State workers came over and were advised of the situation. They took rolls of pictures. I showed them the drugs and paraphernalia.
The case had several overwhelming twists that I can't really get into it.
After spending several hours, on a day where I planned to be very busy, I did feel as though I accomplished much.
I left the mother at the house with some friends that showed up. The children will get warm beds and a full dinner for the next few days. Though the pain of not being with their mother will over-ride any thought of what the better life is all about.
As I mentioned above, its always more difficult with kids. With kids involved there is no chance of turning the other cheek. No chance of leaving without doing EVERYTHING possible to make the situation better than it was before I arrived.
The one shocker and kicker of the call was the reaction of the mother. It seemed to me that she was relieved they were gone. She obviously loves the children, but I got the feeling that she loves the drug more..at least right now. As I walked out I looked back and she said "Thank you". I know why she said it, but I didn't expect it.
What a tough call.
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#129 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Sun Mar 7, 2004 10:28 pm Subject: explaination for last email russ@lifeonthebeat.com
First of all I am not very clear what email was sent to the list from my account. Several people reported getting a suspicious email from me, please delete any suspicious email of that nature.
First of all I will NEVER send an attachement and I cannot think of any reason I would send out type of email that is not a very obvious story that I have written.
Please delete any suspicious emails and take any possible steps available to protect your computer from the hackers and spammers.
Russell
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#130 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Mon Mar 8, 2004 9:36 pm Subject: Explaination and Shift Report russ@lifeonthebeat.com
First of all I want direct you all to the Yahoo! groups website that clearly explains any strange emails that many members of Yahoo! groups email lists may have received recently.
http://groups.yahoo.com/local/virus.html
Next, let me repeat that I will NEVER send you an email with an attachment.
Moving on.......................
I really want to say thank you for all of the positive feedback. It always shocks me to see how many people reply to my Last Night's Shift reports. Just about the time I have offered nothing in an email I hear from several people that are touched by something I wrote. Early on I was really worried that I would take a lot of abuse from people that do not understand my view or from people that disrespect ANY police officer. There is no question that my life has changed since becoming a police officer. I definitely see people in a different light than I did before. I have come to learn that it's pretty natural that police officers become somewhat jaded. I admit that there are many times I roll my eyes and wonder how humans ever survived this long. hehehe Having this list and constantly hearing from the "pro" police community helps keep me sane.
Moving on again...........
Today yielded one fun call. As I have mentioned in the past, certain calls are not nearly as exciting as they used to be. I'll tell the story anyway.
As I arrived at work this morning, I came with determination. There are a few things that have been bugging me lately. Most of which is the fact that my patrol vehicle seems very cluttered. I never seem to be able get it as clean as I want. I never seem to be able to get as organized and I want. What a pain. First thing I did was pull into the city garage and scrub it down. Then I vacuumed it out. I realized that its not nearly as dirty or cluttered as I thought it was. Most of the problem is that its 10 years old and been through many different employees. To say the least, its pretty hammered. Realizing this fact already made my day better. (I think......does that entire paragraph make sense???? I feel better because my patrol car is a hunk o' junk??? Well, I said it----so that makes it true)
I then set out to clear out a few cases that just seem to be bugging me. There seems to always be a few more leads than I have time for. There seems to be more work than time these days. I love to catch the bad guy so much that one flaw I have is that I tend to over do things. Luckily I am in a position that I can work a case until it is completed. When on patrol there are few times that spare time for follow up is allowed. Those poor guys on patrol are stretched to the thinnest of manpower. They are run ragged, no question there.
So as the day began to progress, I heard a few patrol officers check out a motel (I'll just say that it's not the type of motel I would EVER stay). The motel has developed quite a reputation of having criminals as tenants. (I think that's nicely put-----I don't think that should offend too many people).
A few minutes later the officers cleared the scene with no real action. I didn't think much of it until I got a call from a friend of mine. He was telling me that he just got information on a criminal hiding out in a room at that motel. After some discussion I was not shocked to hear that he was telling me about the exact same room.
I told the officer to hold his horses. The last thing I wanted to do is step on the toes of other officers who may already be working a case. After several phone calls and instant messages through laptops I was able to determine that no one had actually attempted contact at that room up to this point. Our officers had been working another case.
As soon as I was able to determine the best course of action, I made a simple plan. I went to the area of the motel and set up surveillance. A short while later AP&P Officers arrived. (Adult Parole and Probation) One of their agents had information that a fugitive was inside the room.
We made a quick plan and I set up in a position that I could see all off the officers near the front door of the room, while I concealed myself behind a parked truck. As the other officers attempted contact, no answers came from inside. After a few minutes someone did make a mistake and made some noise inside the tiny, run down, one room motel room. The blinds moved, ever so gently.
This is when its time to focus. You never really know how a plan will turn out when your dealing with parol violators.
Funny part about this motel is that all the room in one row are built back to back. There is no back doors to the room, only small windows that lead out to an alleyway. The alley way has only one exit and that it just to our right and around a corner.
All of the sudden, two of the officers bolted left. They were on a dead run, but I didn't hear their radio transmission. I assumed from their action that the suspect had gone out the back. If that was the case, they went the wrong way.
I simply took a few steps to the right and crouched down. As the suspect panicked and began to thunder through the alleyway in an attempt to escape. I saw an AP&P officer knelt down in a perfect position. His gun was drawn and pointed at the fugitive. The Officer made few choice comments that essentially meant............."get on the ground, please." As soon as the barrel of the gun came into focus, the suspects eyes popped open like silver dollars. Both hands instantly came up in a defensive reaction, just in time for me to take one and bend his wrist. He fell to the ground in complete compliance. I was able to kneel on top of the suspect with his arm in a locked position so that I had two hands free and was able to see if other suspects may pop out of the hidden areas.
I advised dispatch that we had the suspect in custody.
I could feel this guy's heart pounding below my knee. I asked him if he was alright, he answered that he was find. I asked if he had anything on him I needed to be aware. He said no. But then he remembered a knife---just about the time I grabbed it and asked WHAT'S this?? About that time all of the officer who ran left instead of right were finally making it around to my side of the building again. I smiled and asked where they were when we really needed them. I said "if your sceeeerd, just say so. Don't run the long way on purpose". hehehehe They were too tired to respond. It was apparently a long run.
I helped him up and dusted his face and clothing off.
Instantly I could see the fact that he had been down this road several times. This was just another day in his crazy life. He was not shocked, amped or charged up at all. As soon as we lifted him up, he wanted to know what car we were taking him in and how long he would be in jail. One officer mentioned a 180 commitment.
I think that's enough to get him plumped back up to a normal weight. The "tweak" really eats the fat off these guys. It rots their teeth real bad as well. I wonder how the dental plan is in the jail. Maybe 180 days wouldn't be quite enouth to be as good as new.
Stay in touch,
Russell
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#131 From: "Russell" <russ@lifeonthebeat.com> Date: Mon Mar 29, 2004 2:20 am Subject: One bad thing, one great thing russ@lifeonthebeat.com
Business first.........................
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Back to the fun
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One bad thing about work in law enforcement is the fact that you generally will be working rotating shifts. I have been lucky enough to be in an assignment that allows some flexibility, however it's mostly a day shift position. Working straight days is wonderful for the family, but for me its takes a lot of the fun out of police work.
I have been in this position for over a year now and I seriously miss working the night. Over the last few weeks, I have been finding reasons to come out and work nights, just so I can experience the excitement of proactive police work. "OLD SCHOOL" hehehe
I just had a memory of a very funny incident so I guess I should share it with you.
One of our patrol officers arrested a menial criminal. A great interview turned this arrest into a huge case. Before the night was over the officer had located two storage units that were completely filled with stolen construction equipment. GREAT CASE!
The next morning I happen to be in the right place at the right time, because they were looking for officers to help take an inventory and book all this property into evidence. A few of the officers in our unit were "recruited" for the job.
We all changed into plain cloths, because it was a dirty job that likely would take all day. Then we met at the storage units and made up with a plan. It was about 20 degrees out and we were standing in the shade, so I brought my propane tanks and 80,000 btu heater.
I busted out a digital camera and the laptop and then began to log and list all of the items. One item would come out of the shed- it got logged and photographed. Next item came out- it got logged and photographed. It was a perfect system. (except it was chilly, even with the heater)
We all joked and shared great times of the old days. Being the youngest of the crew, I tried my best to keep quiet and listen to the chronicles (though they likely were more related to fairytales)
At some point a group of men showed up and began to claim a few items that had been stolen from them. They were happy that the police officers had done such a fine job recovering all this stolen property. They began joking at how stupid the suspects must have been and how crime doesn't pay. The men continued to make several different derogatory statements directed at the thugs who stole this stuff.
It was obvious that all of the victims were very happy to get back their property, however they carried on so much that I just had to speak up. I felt that it was time throw a curveball to this little gathering.
I waited for a lull in the conversation and then put my plan to work. I looked directly at the officer who was obviously in charge of the deal, and asked very loudly and boisterously "Hey, how soon can you get me back to the jail" Now remember, I am in plain cloths and am the only one stuck outside while the others carried items back and forth. I didn't make eye contact with the two men, but I stared down each officer just long enough to make sure they caught onto the fact that I was pretending to be the "Crook". Every officer started choking back the laughter while keeping a straight face.
You could just see the color drain from the two men's faces as they were quickly trying to remember what derogatory comments they had just made.
The best part of the joke worked because all the cops knew exactly what I meant and they all played along perfectly.
The two men were very quiet as they finished their business and promptly drove away.
As soon as they were out of sight, we all had a great laugh.
One great thing about police work is the way memories are made at the blink of an eye. One minute everyone is telling stories about the old days, the next minute, we're all laughing and savoring a story we'll all remember for a long time.
Next adventure.
Russell
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