My First Chase, AKA Signal 80

I was driving through a tough residential area; all was quiet. I saw a car with two white guys in it. They were quite out-of-place in that neighborhood. So I turned around to see what, if anything, they were up to. As I rounded the corner, I saw the car backing up in the middle of the street. He had seen me, and was headed for the apartment complex he had just passed, trying to hide. But I got there first.

I hit my blue lights, and saw that he was getting out of his car. I shouted at him, "Stay in the car!" I realized it because anything I say, I hear over my FTO's radio, but my seat belt had keyed up my radio, and Dispatch heard me say it. The guy looked over his shoulder at us, and took off on foot. All I can say is: Thank God Brian was with me, otherwise he'd have gotten away. First of all, I gave out my location with the right street, but the wrong cross-street. No big deal because everyone knows where that is. And second, I'd have never caught him. Brian was able to stay hot on his trail as he ran down the sidewalk, but one of the other officers was able to pull his vehicle out in front of him and get him to quit running so Brian could catch him. He was 25 years old, and I'm just old.

I covered the passenger, who turned out to be wanted on other charges. I wanted to load him up with charges because he kept running his mouth. But all I really had on him was an Open Container charge, despite the fact that he was drunker 'n Cooter Brown. In addition to other trash-talk, he said he and the Chief were "best friends," and protested his innocence. When I called the Chief later to tell him the guy was dropping his name, he said he was surprised that the guy didn't fight with me. Whew! Now you tell me! He said he's been locking him up ever since he came to work at the City, twenty-plus years ago. Yeah, he's his best friend. When we got to the jail, the deputies had the dirt-bag in tears when they put him in isolation, because he was STILL running his mouth.

The driver was wanted also. He had no driver's license, and was out on work release, so he'll be facing Escape charges. He really had nothing to lose by running. If he had stopped, I would have locked him up anyway for the warrant, and no driver's license, and he'd still have Escape charges. The only extra charge he got was Disorderly Conduct for running. Score a small point for the bad guy, who gets a laugh 'cause he made us chase him. Score a point for the good guys, because when they took him to the ground, he got a boo-boo. Oops!

And that my friends, was my first chase.

Today, I stopped by to see one our retired Lieutenants. He has been in very poor health, and every time I pull into the parking lot and see the flags at half-staff, my heart fills with dread until I can find out the details. The Lieutenant retired nearly two years ago, after 30 years with the City. Considering all he's been through the past few months, he looked better than expected. And I feel better having stopped by to say, "Hi!"

Yesterday, was calm with the exception of the overturned tractor-trailer early on. Fortunately, the truck didn't hit anything else, but it took them a while to get the load of lumber off and off the side of the road. Normally that kind of call would be handled by a motorcycle unit. But it was a good training experience for me.

Brian had to drive yesterday because my car needed some work done on it. Around two o'clock, he pulled through the park, and as he was turning around, I got very nauseous. I said, "Hey! Take it easy with the loops there!" I had been fine all morning. He laughed and said his wife would love that one, since she's always fussing at him about how he drives. We left there and went to a call, and I thought I was gonna throw up all over his car. So we drove back to headquarters so I could cool off and settle down. We got another call and as we were heading out the door, I told him to go without me. So I ended up coming home a little early. Once I got home and cooled off, things settled down. I have decided it was the sloshing of the sinus crap in my head.

And that is the week in a nutshell.

Tomorrow is my day off, but I will be working Dispatch. Monday also. Money in the bank!