Flashback Post

Two of my favorite shows were Forever Knight, and Highlander: The Series. One of the best parts of the shows were the flashbacks. As something happened, the main characters (Nick Knight or Duncan McLeod) would have a flash back to another time and place as it related to the current situation. I had one in a Shell gas station of all places. I stopped in to gas up the patrol car and had to buy some snacks to hold me over until dinner. I'm the only customer at the moment and the store is hauntingly quiet. I make a quick nod to the clerk. If I don't look outside at the daytime I'd swear I was back working night shift. Most nights around midnight several of us would end up here, drink coffee and catch up on life, words on the street etc. and no, we never did get caught which is surprising since we were out in the open. I recalled some incidents that took place here;


One night I was fueling up when a car quickly pulled in. I hear shouting between a man and a woman. A man in his 50s is screaming at a 20-something year old woman. I have the man step out of the car and he wants to yell at me. Oh hell no! I handcuff him and stuff him in my patrol car. The woman is acting hysterically. Come to find out, the 20-year old woman is on a date with the 50ish-year old man. Two thoughts materialize;

1-How the hell did he get the babe to go out with his old ass!

2-What mental defects is the woman suffering from?

Further investigation I learn the problem is not the man, it's the woman. She's going berserk on him plus she's drunk. What I think happened was they went out, he bought her drinks hoping to get her in the mood so he can live out his old man fantasies with a younger woman. Unfortunately for him she doesn't handle alcohol well and she goes crazy. I take the cuffs off the man and let him out of the car, I have no reason to hold him any longer. Now, I have a choice, arrest the woman (these two are not leaving together because the problem will continue if I do and I'm not going to let that happen) or find someone to pick her up and get her away from him. He gives me the girl's mother's number. So I call mom to get her drunk daughter. A few minutes later the mom shows up and the mystery behind the young woman's dysfunction is solved. The mom is late 60s/early 70s and wearing tight spandex-type pants and a fake fur coat. I know men act silly when they go through a mid life crises but I didn't realize women go through a late life crises. Mom knew her daughter was on a date with father time and had set it up. I walk away thinking "what's wrong with this family!"


Another night we're drinking coffee when a truck flies into the parking and somehow drives between the gas pumps! I'm amazed he didn't hit them which is what I was expecting. We go outside to confront the driver who seems a little intoxicated, yet I don't smell alcohol. I do the HGN test on him (eyes follow the pen test) and there is no sign. He has an injured leg so I can't do the other tests. He seems intoxicated yet I can't get any signs other than how he drove into the parking lot and the glazed look in his eyes. If I bring him into the intox station and blows into the intoxilyzer machine he will pass that test. Then the issue will be whether a DRE (drug recognition expert) will be available. If not then I won't have any reason to hold him. I do not relish arresting people with little evidence. The less I have to work with the more difficult it becomes to explain why I deprived someone of their liberty and opens me up to trouble down the line. I can't let this guy drive off because I feel it will endanger himself, and the public and again open me up to trouble down the road. I cannot arrest him for public intoxication because I saw him driving! I hate these predicaments! I tell the guy (who is getting an attitude) that he needs to call someone. He gives me the "I have nobody, nobody will answer their phone for me" routine. Basically he's trying to force me to either arrest him with practically no evidence or to let him go. I see his truck door still open so I go look inside the truck. I'm merely peaking inside not digging through. I see something interesting. I see the handle of a knife protruding from under the seat. It looks like a rather large knife too. I pull it out and see it's an illegal knife! Yes! Now I have something to work with. I go ahead and arrest him for the illegal knife. Now he starts protesting saying he can find a ride. Too late! In the search incident to arrest I find xanex and weed in his pocket. So he's high. It has to be the weed because xanex increases the HGN. Now that I have a good weapon and drug case on this fool, my problem is solved.