Sunday, September 14, 2008

Still no power at the stations. Some restaurants are open, but lines are literally going out the door. Hell, Schlotzkey's is open, but people are waiting in line. It looks like there was a free concert going on or something. Again, I fuel up early. Never know when the gas pumps will go down or dry up. As the sun sets things are smooth. Then an urgent call comes in. A kid with a gun to his head. Dammit! I get there behind another officer. He points to the garage. Sitting inside is a teenager with a rifle under his chin. I was hoping this wouldn't be the case. I grab my shotgun and take up a position where I can see him, yet get out of the way should he decide the level the rifle at me. I try to talk to him. He won't even tell me his name. I had to get it from his distraught mother. I'm trying every psychological trick I know to get him to talk; "talk to me tell me what's wrong! I want to understand what you're feeling, help me! Whatever this is it can be overcome!" He kept shouting for me to talk to his parents. He would stick the barrel in his mouth and his hand go for the trigger. I mentally prepared myself for the vision of the top of his skull popping off from the bullet. Yet he did not shoot. I was wondering how long we'd be out here with him putting the barrel in his mouth and taking it out and not really talking. I started to wonder if he just wanted attention. He had plenty of chances to do it if he was serious. He then loads the rifle and fires it. He had it pointing up so the round went into the roof. I had my shotgun ready thinking "please God I really do not want to shoot this kid!" He then threw the rifle down. I charged him before he could change his mind and pick it back up and we got him. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.