The Chase
This tale starts with the look. The "oh shit" look, as the Rdog says "pretext stop". The car is a POS2000. The 20-30 ish driver eyeballs me as he passes me in a mufflerless 89 chevy mini van. PC has been established. The driver is shirtless and there is a pitbull hanging out the missing driver side window (not the one next to the driver, the one behind, a long bay type window gone..who needs AC)
I follow the car through town. I have picked a spot were I will being pulling him over. I run the plate comes back to a female born in 46, not the driver. I asked for a ticket scan for 20-30 male. Improper signal, more PC. we approach the spot I want him to stop.
Lights activated and wait. The driver's head moves registering in the rear view mirror and the slight turn back. Wait for about 100 feet, he isn't pulling over. Sirens and he keeps going.
"failure to yield and direction of travel" is broadcast and request for the next city to cut him off at the pass. broadcast speed 60-80+ mph. I watch as he nearly strikes another car fish tailing as he stomps the break to avoid collision. Then he guns it. I slow down, I don't want to be the fire in his flaming death. I stay back, broadcasting speed near misses, passing on the left.
OH SHIT there is construction ahead. Two lanes into one with flaggers at each end plus the intersection. He is through it I don't see a crash I don't hear a bang. I follow.
Now he comes to the traffic light at the biggie st intersection that side of town. The light is red. Again a brace for what I think is coming the bang, the pop. Two cars stomp there breaks and avoid him. He continues up the center of the road still screaming.
I see the finale' that I have been predicting, but am happy about. the nozzle locks the brakes or the van dies, but he skids into a street sign.
Female passenger books east. Male driver gets out run south. I broadcast and drive up his trail. I am out of the car and running through a yard, kicking a fence, taser out "Police, come out the god damn house" . I think he has ducked into a house. the owner states he cut out the back across the street and hopped a fence.
The cavalry has arrived county and the local fuzz. They have a K9 and set up perimeter. I am notified the vehicle's driver is most likely a nozzle named "LUCKY". LUCKY fits the description of the driver. LUCKY is suspended and has a felony warrant.
I check the car and let K9 do his thing. The pitbull in still in the car and is a nice puppy. I find a meth and mj pipe in the car. Dog goes to the pound the vehicle is removed. K9 guy states LUCKY stole a bike from a kid and took off.
I have lost my nozzle. I go a find photo's of LUCKY to see if it is the winning face. It is. I attempt to contact victim's of the near misses, but none stuck around to talk. The construction workers on the other hand are very interested in telling me how close the nozzle came. The supervisor say he heard the sirens and decided to stop all cars and pull back the flaggers, in affect saving his crew and at least one person from a sure death. GOOD JOB. The next day I will photo the construction zone.
While I talk to the supervisor, I get a call from a man who gave LUCKY a ride back out to the area near my pond. The witness states shirtless and sweaty guy came up to him, (he was near the end of the pursuit) and said he would give him $20 for a ride back to near my pond. Witness said he know it was the suspect, but didn't feel comfortable telling him no (uh really?). Witness gave him a ride to an address.
I request cover and meet the witness who gives a vague address, which is next to the "tweakers briar patch". so I will not be going to get him. Witness describes LUCKY and even id's him.
I done. No real conclusion. It will go to the DA.
I have 6 tons of adrenaline in my spine waiting for the chase to end in an arrest, but no arrest, no taser, no cuffs, no scuffle.
I bug the firefighters, they don't want to mess with me. I can't calm down for hours.
I have the dog and car flagged, so that LE will be called if they are attempted to be picked up.
I call the owner of the car. She sold it to a guy 2 years ago "JOHN" who she describes to look a lot like LUCKY and she is constantly getting phone calls about the vehicle involved in reckless driving etc. I ask her to notify LE if JOHN contacts her.
I follow the car through town. I have picked a spot were I will being pulling him over. I run the plate comes back to a female born in 46, not the driver. I asked for a ticket scan for 20-30 male. Improper signal, more PC. we approach the spot I want him to stop.
Lights activated and wait. The driver's head moves registering in the rear view mirror and the slight turn back. Wait for about 100 feet, he isn't pulling over. Sirens and he keeps going.
"failure to yield and direction of travel" is broadcast and request for the next city to cut him off at the pass. broadcast speed 60-80+ mph. I watch as he nearly strikes another car fish tailing as he stomps the break to avoid collision. Then he guns it. I slow down, I don't want to be the fire in his flaming death. I stay back, broadcasting speed near misses, passing on the left.
OH SHIT there is construction ahead. Two lanes into one with flaggers at each end plus the intersection. He is through it I don't see a crash I don't hear a bang. I follow.
Now he comes to the traffic light at the biggie st intersection that side of town. The light is red. Again a brace for what I think is coming the bang, the pop. Two cars stomp there breaks and avoid him. He continues up the center of the road still screaming.
I see the finale' that I have been predicting, but am happy about. the nozzle locks the brakes or the van dies, but he skids into a street sign.
Female passenger books east. Male driver gets out run south. I broadcast and drive up his trail. I am out of the car and running through a yard, kicking a fence, taser out "Police, come out the god damn house" . I think he has ducked into a house. the owner states he cut out the back across the street and hopped a fence.
The cavalry has arrived county and the local fuzz. They have a K9 and set up perimeter. I am notified the vehicle's driver is most likely a nozzle named "LUCKY". LUCKY fits the description of the driver. LUCKY is suspended and has a felony warrant.
I check the car and let K9 do his thing. The pitbull in still in the car and is a nice puppy. I find a meth and mj pipe in the car. Dog goes to the pound the vehicle is removed. K9 guy states LUCKY stole a bike from a kid and took off.
I have lost my nozzle. I go a find photo's of LUCKY to see if it is the winning face. It is. I attempt to contact victim's of the near misses, but none stuck around to talk. The construction workers on the other hand are very interested in telling me how close the nozzle came. The supervisor say he heard the sirens and decided to stop all cars and pull back the flaggers, in affect saving his crew and at least one person from a sure death. GOOD JOB. The next day I will photo the construction zone.
While I talk to the supervisor, I get a call from a man who gave LUCKY a ride back out to the area near my pond. The witness states shirtless and sweaty guy came up to him, (he was near the end of the pursuit) and said he would give him $20 for a ride back to near my pond. Witness said he know it was the suspect, but didn't feel comfortable telling him no (uh really?). Witness gave him a ride to an address.
I request cover and meet the witness who gives a vague address, which is next to the "tweakers briar patch". so I will not be going to get him. Witness describes LUCKY and even id's him.
I done. No real conclusion. It will go to the DA.
I have 6 tons of adrenaline in my spine waiting for the chase to end in an arrest, but no arrest, no taser, no cuffs, no scuffle.
I bug the firefighters, they don't want to mess with me. I can't calm down for hours.
I have the dog and car flagged, so that LE will be called if they are attempted to be picked up.
I call the owner of the car. She sold it to a guy 2 years ago "JOHN" who she describes to look a lot like LUCKY and she is constantly getting phone calls about the vehicle involved in reckless driving etc. I ask her to notify LE if JOHN contacts her.
posted by deputydog at 12:41 AM
7 Comments:
Is there some kind of opportunity you can have to burn the adrenaline off, or do you have to go right back to sitting in the patrol car after something like that?
not really. i tried to get the firefighters to wrestle. i ended up walking my dog for an hour when i got home and then going to bed 2 hours later than usual.
I imagine seeing you in full uniform, jacked up with adrenaline, ready to knock someone over and pin them to the ground is something most people would back away from.
:)
Walking the dog is healthy - gives you a chance to breathe evenly too. I'd suggest calming piano music to go along with that, but I'm not sure you'd like what I listen to from that genre.
Jade,
This is the problem with police work. You get a huge adrenaline rush, and then no way to burn it off. When you get home your body is exhausted, but your mind can't relax.
Working out is a big boon.
Walking our dog is good.
Finding a nice quiet hobby is good, but you have to wait for hours to get the "release." The adrenaline sits in your blood and acts as a toxin until it is released, but by then damaged is done.
RD
P.S. Way to go FOZ!
Aside from general anxiety panic attacks, my repeated exposure to excessive adrenaline has been chemically induced (the inhaler I use to keep my airways clear when I have an anaphylactic reaction - combined with the panic of not breathing - gives me an adrenaline jolt)
I *hate* the feeling.
When you guys describe that feeling in your stories - the need to fight, etc.. - I nod as I read because it sounds so familiar. Though I'm sure what I go through is merely a microscopic taste of what you guys face every day.
It's a massive physical stress on the body.
I think a quiet hobby is good for peace of mind in general, but it seems like there should be... I don't know... some kind of punching bag or something you guys can use after a call like that.
it messed me for a day or so. then we went camping. they called about the dog, but no word on the car.
For the last year or two, I had have night sweats. I get hot, soak the bed, and drench the sheets. Its not from bad dreams, but they occur at least twice a week.
While on vacation, I had none, zero, nichts, nada.... I was not working. I had no adrenaline to purge from my system.
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