It was a simple alarm call. After we cleared it I walked down the half block back to my car. I looked at the sidewalk when the pre-flashback music played in my head.
About five or six years ago, I was working night shift. I came up to an intersection and stopped as another car ran the red light. I turned to go after him and he kept going. I followed him into a neighborhood and he finally pulled over. I approach and look at him and can tell he's f***** up! I pull him out of the car. Now, I can't remember what I was thinking but I made the decision to cuff him and put him in my car until my backup arrived. Now, I should have just stalled, talked to him, maybe try to do sobriety tests. I grab him and he spins on me grabbing my hands. I pull back and take out my OC spray. I was going to spray him but we were too close and he slapped the spray out of my hand. Sh**! He takes off running down the street and I go after him. I hate running and we ran. For some reason he was running down the sidewalk. I kept thinking if he starts running in between houses and hopping fences he's gone. Yet, he kept running down the sidewalk. I remember thinking this guy was crazy or incredibly stupid. I can't catch up to him but he isn't going to lose me. I'm out of breath calling out our location yet the units are having a hard time finding the street. One officer gets on the radio asking what neighborhood is that street in. I say, on the air "fu** if I know just get here!" Finally my posse arrives and I stop and breathe while they run after him and catch him. I drag my ass and the guy is on the ground fighting. Unbeknownst to me, another officer's radio is keyed up and I say "hey use your spray and spray this bitch! I lost mine!" I didn't get in trouble but I did get laughed at. The officer sprays him, and us, but we manage to him in custody. The guy starts talking crazy. He gets in my car and is running at the mouth about someone named Christie. I take him to jail and when he gets in the door he tries to flee while inside the jail. I filed evading and resisting arrest on him. I was pissed when the dumb f*** Harris County DA's office dismissed the charge saying he was crazy. Yeah he was crazy, but he knew ***damn well what he was doing.
While looking at the sidewalk I imagined myself running that night after him. I wonder whatever happened to that damned fool!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
"Throw Ya Gunz!"
Rebecca had an interesting post about guns.
First point, no matter how you feel about our President (personally I detest him) he is still the President and any rational person knows YOU DON'T THREATEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!! I never could understand the logic of someone emailing, or calling the white house threatening the President. Perhaps they were just super lonely and was wanting human contact very badly so they wanted the FBI and/or the Secret Service to come knocking. It's better to exercise your first amendment rights (while we still have them) to express your disagreement not threaten the man with harm. That's just dumb!!!
Guns are not the problem, it's the people who have them. I remember stopping an old man for speeding. He was late 70s and his wife was the same age range. He had a concealed carry license and told me he had a pistol in the car. He was very courteous and concerned that I would fear for my safety because he had a gun. Fortunately, I keep things in perspective. This is someone's grandpa who doesn't want to be a victim of crime. He watches the news and sees all the stories of criminals robbing and beating innocent citizens (many of them elderly) and he refuses to be a victim. So he carries a small pistol to protect himself and his wife from criminals. He'd never dream of harming an innocent person with his pistol, much less a police officer. This is not the person I fear having a gun. The person I fear having a gun is like the young man who just got out of jail and I had pulled over for running a stop sign. My supervisor at the time was with me and next thing I know, he pulls his gun and is struggling with the driver. Fearing the guy is about to put the car in gear and drive off with my boss hanging on I jump in the car on the passenger side and yank the key out. I secure the driver's arms and get him handcuffed. I was wondering why he was reaching for the seat, then I learned there was a pistol under there. Then it dawned on me, I jumped on top of a guy reaching for a pistol!
When one looks back upon the greatest massacres and slaughters in history there is a common denominator. The murderers were well armed and the victims weren't. In cities with a high crime rate, the criminals are well armed and the citizenry isn't. Good people should have a means to protect themselves from the criminal element and oppressive governments. In third world nations where people are dominated and oppressed their laws forbid the citizenry from owning guns. Who has the guns in those nations? The military and the police who come in and do what they want with the people. A Japanese general was interviewed after the end of World War II. He was asked why didn't the Japanese invade the American west coast after they decimated Pearl Harbor. The general said they knew that American citizens owned guns and even had marksmanship contests and knew better than to walk in that "quicksand."
Guns can be scary. However the best way to conquer your fear of something is to learn it, become familiar with it. At a young age my dad taught my brother and I to respect, and avoid guns. When we got older he taught us how to properly handle one and the consequences for not handling one. As a result I'm very careful when handling my weapons. My finger never touches the trigger unless it's time to shoot (which thankfully has only been at the shooting range). As long as the barrel is pointing away from people and the finger is off the trigger there is no way a gun will discharge and injure/kill someone. These accidental discharges are a result of the trigger being carelessly pulled. These incidents where someone is "playing" with a gun and accidentally kills someone is the recklessness of the handler. Even the NRA which many naive liberals view as worse than the waffen ss has a safety mascot called Eddie Eagle who goes to schools and such teaching gun safety.
I refuse to be a victim. I've seen too many victims of robberies, assaults, and even a home invasion. I remember the fear in the family's eyes. I remember the sense of helplessness and fear after a group of men kicked in their door, tied them up, held one man's head under water, and threatened to take a teenage girl with them. I refuse to be tied up while my house is being ransacked or my wife assaulted. I refuse to live with the consequences and second guessing myself and thinking I'm a coward for having surrendered. I won't do it!
First point, no matter how you feel about our President (personally I detest him) he is still the President and any rational person knows YOU DON'T THREATEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!! I never could understand the logic of someone emailing, or calling the white house threatening the President. Perhaps they were just super lonely and was wanting human contact very badly so they wanted the FBI and/or the Secret Service to come knocking. It's better to exercise your first amendment rights (while we still have them) to express your disagreement not threaten the man with harm. That's just dumb!!!
Guns are not the problem, it's the people who have them. I remember stopping an old man for speeding. He was late 70s and his wife was the same age range. He had a concealed carry license and told me he had a pistol in the car. He was very courteous and concerned that I would fear for my safety because he had a gun. Fortunately, I keep things in perspective. This is someone's grandpa who doesn't want to be a victim of crime. He watches the news and sees all the stories of criminals robbing and beating innocent citizens (many of them elderly) and he refuses to be a victim. So he carries a small pistol to protect himself and his wife from criminals. He'd never dream of harming an innocent person with his pistol, much less a police officer. This is not the person I fear having a gun. The person I fear having a gun is like the young man who just got out of jail and I had pulled over for running a stop sign. My supervisor at the time was with me and next thing I know, he pulls his gun and is struggling with the driver. Fearing the guy is about to put the car in gear and drive off with my boss hanging on I jump in the car on the passenger side and yank the key out. I secure the driver's arms and get him handcuffed. I was wondering why he was reaching for the seat, then I learned there was a pistol under there. Then it dawned on me, I jumped on top of a guy reaching for a pistol!
When one looks back upon the greatest massacres and slaughters in history there is a common denominator. The murderers were well armed and the victims weren't. In cities with a high crime rate, the criminals are well armed and the citizenry isn't. Good people should have a means to protect themselves from the criminal element and oppressive governments. In third world nations where people are dominated and oppressed their laws forbid the citizenry from owning guns. Who has the guns in those nations? The military and the police who come in and do what they want with the people. A Japanese general was interviewed after the end of World War II. He was asked why didn't the Japanese invade the American west coast after they decimated Pearl Harbor. The general said they knew that American citizens owned guns and even had marksmanship contests and knew better than to walk in that "quicksand."
Guns can be scary. However the best way to conquer your fear of something is to learn it, become familiar with it. At a young age my dad taught my brother and I to respect, and avoid guns. When we got older he taught us how to properly handle one and the consequences for not handling one. As a result I'm very careful when handling my weapons. My finger never touches the trigger unless it's time to shoot (which thankfully has only been at the shooting range). As long as the barrel is pointing away from people and the finger is off the trigger there is no way a gun will discharge and injure/kill someone. These accidental discharges are a result of the trigger being carelessly pulled. These incidents where someone is "playing" with a gun and accidentally kills someone is the recklessness of the handler. Even the NRA which many naive liberals view as worse than the waffen ss has a safety mascot called Eddie Eagle who goes to schools and such teaching gun safety.
I refuse to be a victim. I've seen too many victims of robberies, assaults, and even a home invasion. I remember the fear in the family's eyes. I remember the sense of helplessness and fear after a group of men kicked in their door, tied them up, held one man's head under water, and threatened to take a teenage girl with them. I refuse to be tied up while my house is being ransacked or my wife assaulted. I refuse to live with the consequences and second guessing myself and thinking I'm a coward for having surrendered. I won't do it!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Alarm Commercial at My House
These commercials are dumb as hell. They should film a commercial at my house. It would go a little something like this;
Alarm: "Mr. Parsons we've got an alarm at your house are you okay?"
Me: "Why thank you for calling! I'm just peachy! Now, the mother f***** who just kicked in my door has 5 bullets in his ass and 1 in his head! You may want to send help for him!"
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Awwww Damn!
Sometimes I check by on traffic stops with an ulterior motive. When the officer is good I will sit back and watch the passing traffic. Texas has a law that requires motorists passing an emergency vehicle with their emergency lights running to either vacate the lane or slow down. It annoys the hell out of me when I'm on a traffic stop and some fool flies by me within inches. So I like to sit on others' stops and watch for those fools who fly by then go after them. The other day I sat by when this Matrix flies by. I stop him and he acts like he doesn't know. He also has no insurance and says the car isn't his. He is 'test driving' it for the last three days. I run him and he has a criminal record. He's been filed on for terroristic threat. I don't look into the details but then I see the name of the officer who filed the charge, Rodney Johnson. I shook my head and said "damn!"
The guy got two tickets and wanted to argue, but I didn't want to hear it.
The guy got two tickets and wanted to argue, but I didn't want to hear it.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
What Were These People Thinking?
Story 1:
A man gets pulled over for speeding. The officer goes into his spiel about why he stopped him and he needs to see the guy's license and insurance. The officer is professional. The guy refuses to hand over his license and argues. After a few minutes of arguing and the guy refusing to hand over his license and insurance (which he doesn't have) it's time for the hands on approach. The officer reaches in and the guy tries to pull back. He comes out of the car, while it's still in gear. The car lurches forward while the officer is wrestling with the guy who manages to break free and jump back in the car. The car gets stopped and back out he comes resisting arrest. He finally gets placed in cuffs. When he realizes he's going to jail he begs for forgiveness but really doesn't explain why he resisted to start with.
Story 2:
A friend of mine is a Constable. She's at a red light when the car next to her gets tired of waiting and goes through the light. So naturally she stops him. He also refuses to hand over his license initially. He tells her she is just a Constable and has no authority to stop someone (yet this idiot did stop for her). She is a very patient person, not like me. At this point, had I been her I'd have gotten him out of the car and arrested him. So, he calls 911 to ask if a Constable can legally stop him. I imagine that call taker was highly annoyed they he/she told him yes. The guy then hands over his license and argues the whole time he's getting two tickets. Now, she did handle it okay, her patience won out. Had that been me, "oh hell no!!!"
A man gets pulled over for speeding. The officer goes into his spiel about why he stopped him and he needs to see the guy's license and insurance. The officer is professional. The guy refuses to hand over his license and argues. After a few minutes of arguing and the guy refusing to hand over his license and insurance (which he doesn't have) it's time for the hands on approach. The officer reaches in and the guy tries to pull back. He comes out of the car, while it's still in gear. The car lurches forward while the officer is wrestling with the guy who manages to break free and jump back in the car. The car gets stopped and back out he comes resisting arrest. He finally gets placed in cuffs. When he realizes he's going to jail he begs for forgiveness but really doesn't explain why he resisted to start with.
Story 2:
A friend of mine is a Constable. She's at a red light when the car next to her gets tired of waiting and goes through the light. So naturally she stops him. He also refuses to hand over his license initially. He tells her she is just a Constable and has no authority to stop someone (yet this idiot did stop for her). She is a very patient person, not like me. At this point, had I been her I'd have gotten him out of the car and arrested him. So, he calls 911 to ask if a Constable can legally stop him. I imagine that call taker was highly annoyed they he/she told him yes. The guy then hands over his license and argues the whole time he's getting two tickets. Now, she did handle it okay, her patience won out. Had that been me, "oh hell no!!!"
Monday, June 1, 2009
A Scare at the Doctor's Office!
I decided today was a good day to get my annual physical exam over with. They tell you to fast which always sucks. I manage to get to the doctor's office early. I didn't mean to, I overestimated traffic. I was hoping getting their early would also get me in and out early. It didn't. They finally call me in and I get weighed and blood pressure read. The nurse takes out that paper gown and tells me to put it on. She then takes out a pair of latex gloves and paper towels and puts them on a counter. She then squirts a glob of lubricating jelly onto the paper towel. I'm staring wide eyed and jawed. I'm thinking whatever I did, whatever I said I'm sorry and I take it back. I'm also uttering "damn damn damn damn!"
The doctor finally comes in. I nod towards that and ask if it's what I think it is. He looks and laughs. They don't do that until you're 50 he tells me. I breathed the biggest sigh of relief. Good thing she didn't lay that out then take my blood pressure!
The doctor finally comes in. I nod towards that and ask if it's what I think it is. He looks and laughs. They don't do that until you're 50 he tells me. I breathed the biggest sigh of relief. Good thing she didn't lay that out then take my blood pressure!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)