Posted by: Blue
Last night, our first call was at one of the hospitals in our district. A psych patient had barricaded himself at the end of the hallway and armed himself with a chair and a pillowcase with two billiard balls inside.
He was an ex-C.O. and had gotten into coke and meth, ruining his career, his marriage, his family and his brain.
We tried for about two minutes to convince him to drop the weapon before I pulled the trigger on the X2 and gave him a 5 second ride. He tensed and the other three officers moved-in. He was brought to the ground safely, disarmed and handcuffed. He was uninjured and the nurses were able to sedate him.
I much prefer the Taser to my other intermediate weapon options when it comes to certain scenarios like this. There are fewer chances of serious injury both to the subject and to the officers.
Showing posts with label Use of Force. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Use of Force. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Sunday, January 18, 2015
A Broken Family
Posted by: Blue
Last week, our last call of the night had an officer on our shift deploy the new Taser for the first time. He hit the accused with both cartridges, after the first blast wasn't enough to convince him to get off of his ex-girlfriend, whom he was straddling and pummelling to a bloody pulp.
We arrived on scene a few minutes later. I learned that the two shared children had been trying to pry daddy off of mommy. The four year old was seemingly OK. But the two year old had blood covering his face, from one of his father's back-strokes taken to his nose as he rained blows down on the child's mother while the toddler tried to wedge himself between the two.
I asked the mother for a cloth. She was already more concerned about the whereabouts of her cell phone than the wellbeing of her bleeding baby. I cleaned the boy, changed his day-old diaper and then put clothes on him that I found in a pile on the couch. He had been shivering each time the door opened.
By the time we were finishing the video statement with the victim, she was expressing regret that her baby daddy was going to be locked-up. She refused the hospital for her injuries, instead deciding to head home and not pick up her children from her sister-in-law's until the next morning, so she could get cosy with the guy she had been beaten for texting to that night.
Dad won't be convicted, and will almost certainly be out on bail long before trial. She wasn't going to show-up to testify for his upcoming case from the last time he beat her senseless. This time won't be any different.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Bitten
Posted by: Blue
Today was a first for me. I was bitten while wrestling with an impaired driver arrest. She locked onto my left thigh. Fortunately my badge wallet was in my cargo pocket and she got a mouthful of cloth, leather and tin instead of skin and muscle.
She told me she would be filing a complaint against me.
I must not have tasted as good as she thought I should have.
Today was a first for me. I was bitten while wrestling with an impaired driver arrest. She locked onto my left thigh. Fortunately my badge wallet was in my cargo pocket and she got a mouthful of cloth, leather and tin instead of skin and muscle.
She told me she would be filing a complaint against me.
I must not have tasted as good as she thought I should have.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
New Tasers
Posted by: Blue
The service will be switching from the X26 to the X2 Taser Conducted Electrical Weapon in the New Year.
There is no way of sitting in the new Taurus Police Interceptor while wearing the mandatory drop-leg cross-draw holster.
They have been ordered in banana yellow for everyone but Tac and K9.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
The Princess and the Pee
Posted by: Blue
Our 17 year old arrestee had to wait for about five minutes for a female officer to search her. She remained handcuffed and wasn't permitted to use the washroom until she was searched. She kicked at the door for three minutes and then intentionally pissed herself, then rolled around and dragged her hair through the puddle, soaking her clothing and head.
She ended up in a spit sock and RIPP hobble restraints after spitting at us when we walked through the cell door. While we dragged her off to jail as an intoxicated and violent direct lock-up, she left a soggy trail of urine from the cell all the way to the cruiser car.
At the hospital (a mandatory stop for all intoxicated youths), she asked the doctor to check if she was pregnant. She was not.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Domestic Crap
Posted by: Blue
One of the other crews had a domestic assault arrest last week. The accused male pretended he was sleeping when they went into the bedroom to hook him.
He was naked.
When they cuffed him and started dragging him down the stairs against his will, he struggled, fought and then suddenly and violently shit himself.
The patrol sergeant who attended the call could smell the accused's rank stench from inside his SUV when he pulled-up to check on the crew and sign the Prisoner Log Sheet.
He went direct to Provincial Remand, still naked, covered in shit and crying.
Both of the officers were provided slips for new pants and boots.
One of the other crews had a domestic assault arrest last week. The accused male pretended he was sleeping when they went into the bedroom to hook him.
He was naked.
When they cuffed him and started dragging him down the stairs against his will, he struggled, fought and then suddenly and violently shit himself.
The patrol sergeant who attended the call could smell the accused's rank stench from inside his SUV when he pulled-up to check on the crew and sign the Prisoner Log Sheet.
He went direct to Provincial Remand, still naked, covered in shit and crying.
Both of the officers were provided slips for new pants and boots.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Tango-Zulu
Posted by: Blue
If you are acting up or doing something you shouldn't when the police show up, if you hear "Tango-Zulu. Tango-Zulu." You should probably smarten up pretty damn quick. You are about to get Tazered.
If you are acting up or doing something you shouldn't when the police show up, if you hear "Tango-Zulu. Tango-Zulu." You should probably smarten up pretty damn quick. You are about to get Tazered.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Duty Gear: OC Spray
Posted by: Blue
We carry Sabre Red Crossfire OC Spray which dispenses in a stream, rather than a mist or a gel.
It contains 1.33% Oleoresin Capsicum. It's approximately 1.5 to 2 times stronger than the average bear spray.
We carry Sabre Red Crossfire OC Spray which dispenses in a stream, rather than a mist or a gel.
It contains 1.33% Oleoresin Capsicum. It's approximately 1.5 to 2 times stronger than the average bear spray.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Squeeze Up
Posted by: Blue
Per Officer Safety Unit, Tac has advised them to start teaching the squeeze-up.
While using lethal force cover on a suspect, you tighten up your stance, getting closer to the other officer and use your off-hand to squeeze their leg when you approach them at their blind spot. This is also useful in the case of tunnel-vision. One of you is then able to switch to a less lethal option such as a Taser while the other provides lethal cover for both officers.
Squeezing below the waist means that any sympathetic reaction should occur below their waist as well, thus lessening the chance of a sympathetic reaction above the waist like an accidental trigger pull.
This technique differs from what used to be taught, which is standing approximately 10 feet from your partner during lethal force coercion. Studies showed that if the suspect rushed one officer with a knife while the officer transitioned from a firearm to a Taser, by the time the officer with firearm coverage began shooting, he would be approximately three feet behind the suspect, until eventually over-correcting, leading ahead of the charging subject and firing bullets into his partner by mistake.
During tests by our OSU, the officer who was charged was shot 100% of the time with blue on blue friendly fire. The suspect was only hit approximately 20% of the time, and always after the officer went down.
Per Officer Safety Unit, Tac has advised them to start teaching the squeeze-up.
While using lethal force cover on a suspect, you tighten up your stance, getting closer to the other officer and use your off-hand to squeeze their leg when you approach them at their blind spot. This is also useful in the case of tunnel-vision. One of you is then able to switch to a less lethal option such as a Taser while the other provides lethal cover for both officers.
Squeezing below the waist means that any sympathetic reaction should occur below their waist as well, thus lessening the chance of a sympathetic reaction above the waist like an accidental trigger pull.
This technique differs from what used to be taught, which is standing approximately 10 feet from your partner during lethal force coercion. Studies showed that if the suspect rushed one officer with a knife while the officer transitioned from a firearm to a Taser, by the time the officer with firearm coverage began shooting, he would be approximately three feet behind the suspect, until eventually over-correcting, leading ahead of the charging subject and firing bullets into his partner by mistake.
During tests by our OSU, the officer who was charged was shot 100% of the time with blue on blue friendly fire. The suspect was only hit approximately 20% of the time, and always after the officer went down.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Pursuit
Posted by: Blue
On Christmas Day I was the prime unit for a traffic pursuit which began on the same block that I live on.
We spotted two males running through the field near my house where the power lines run through that part of the city. I thought it was odd to see 2 males dressed in baggy black clothing jogging late on a Christmas night, especially in my neighbourhood.
We turned around to check them out. They hopped into a grey Chevy Cavalier. I hit the cherries and pulled up parallel with their front bumper (approaching from the front of their car so our front bumpers were facing one another, but I was still in the traffic lane).
The driver didn't look at me. He immediately started shimmying his car, trying to get it out of the parallel parking spot I had wedged him into. He reversed. I went forward and put the front driver's side bumper of the unmarked cruiser we were in at his driver's side door so he couldn't jump out.
"Get us another unit here now!" I told my partner.
The car slammed into our bumper, pushed us out of the way and took-off W/B. I revved the engine, spinning the rear-wheel drive Crown Vic into a 180 on the icy road. We gave chase.
He stopped at the first stop sign, and then went through every other stop sign and red light.
My partner started calmly calling the pursuit over the air, asking to be patched into the other districts.
It was quiet. Every available unit volunteered and was assigned. By the time we were 1000 yards away, the suspects ran-over a well-placed Stop-Stick, taking-out their front passenger-side tire.
The pursuit continued with the suspects on three tires and one rim. A Downtown unit came up behind us to take-over as prime unit because they were a marked unit.
They hit another Stop-Stick around 1000 yards further up. Two more tires blown. They only had 1 intact now - the driver's side rear tire.
The downtown unit got out in front of the suspects and tried to slow them down. They took a left. We were prime again.
They made it another block and we saw the driver's door crack open as the vehicle slowed to a stop. "He's running!", I yelled. My partner voiced it over the air.
The passenger was slower to get out of the car (we found-out later it was because he was holding a safe on his lap and had to wait until the driver bailed so he had a place to ditch it). He opened the door to come nose to nose with my partner's Glock. He gave up and hit the ground on his belly, hands outstretched.
I gave chase to the driver down the back lane of the street we had just come down, along with one of the guys from the downtown car. Units were flooding the area.
I got hung-up with my duty rig on a chain-link fence when the suspect headed for the front street again, tearing the sleeve off of my shirt and cutting my shoulder. The downtown guy kept going. When I managed to free myself, they were about 75 yards ahead of me and the driver was cutting back into the back lane. I cut back, hoping to intercept.
I gunned it, scanning for a figure emerging from a back yard. The downtown guy came across the air "I've got him in the side yard of 29!"
I could see the reflection of the flashlight against the snow and darted over there, drawing-out my Taser as I ran. I showed-up and found the suspect proned-out. "Contact," said the downtown guy. "Cover," I replied. He moved-in to cuff him while I kept the red laser of the Taser in the centre of his back. "Don't don anything dumb or you're gonna get lit-up," I said.
He was cuffed and brought to one of the cruisers.
The driver was on a warrant plus numerous breaches. The passenger had breaches, not to mention the Flight charge, Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of Break-in Instruments for both of them. The safe belonged to a drug dealer who wasn't cooperating, so we couldn't get the Break and Enter or Possession of Goods Obtained by Crime.
During the Duty Inspector's briefing, she told us the only reason she didn't abort the pursuit on the icy winter roads was that my partner was extremely calm and reassuringly in control of the situation while he was voicing over the radio.
On Christmas Day I was the prime unit for a traffic pursuit which began on the same block that I live on.
We spotted two males running through the field near my house where the power lines run through that part of the city. I thought it was odd to see 2 males dressed in baggy black clothing jogging late on a Christmas night, especially in my neighbourhood.
We turned around to check them out. They hopped into a grey Chevy Cavalier. I hit the cherries and pulled up parallel with their front bumper (approaching from the front of their car so our front bumpers were facing one another, but I was still in the traffic lane).
The driver didn't look at me. He immediately started shimmying his car, trying to get it out of the parallel parking spot I had wedged him into. He reversed. I went forward and put the front driver's side bumper of the unmarked cruiser we were in at his driver's side door so he couldn't jump out.
"Get us another unit here now!" I told my partner.
The car slammed into our bumper, pushed us out of the way and took-off W/B. I revved the engine, spinning the rear-wheel drive Crown Vic into a 180 on the icy road. We gave chase.
He stopped at the first stop sign, and then went through every other stop sign and red light.
My partner started calmly calling the pursuit over the air, asking to be patched into the other districts.
It was quiet. Every available unit volunteered and was assigned. By the time we were 1000 yards away, the suspects ran-over a well-placed Stop-Stick, taking-out their front passenger-side tire.
The pursuit continued with the suspects on three tires and one rim. A Downtown unit came up behind us to take-over as prime unit because they were a marked unit.
They hit another Stop-Stick around 1000 yards further up. Two more tires blown. They only had 1 intact now - the driver's side rear tire.
The downtown unit got out in front of the suspects and tried to slow them down. They took a left. We were prime again.
They made it another block and we saw the driver's door crack open as the vehicle slowed to a stop. "He's running!", I yelled. My partner voiced it over the air.
The passenger was slower to get out of the car (we found-out later it was because he was holding a safe on his lap and had to wait until the driver bailed so he had a place to ditch it). He opened the door to come nose to nose with my partner's Glock. He gave up and hit the ground on his belly, hands outstretched.
I gave chase to the driver down the back lane of the street we had just come down, along with one of the guys from the downtown car. Units were flooding the area.
I got hung-up with my duty rig on a chain-link fence when the suspect headed for the front street again, tearing the sleeve off of my shirt and cutting my shoulder. The downtown guy kept going. When I managed to free myself, they were about 75 yards ahead of me and the driver was cutting back into the back lane. I cut back, hoping to intercept.
I gunned it, scanning for a figure emerging from a back yard. The downtown guy came across the air "I've got him in the side yard of 29!"
I could see the reflection of the flashlight against the snow and darted over there, drawing-out my Taser as I ran. I showed-up and found the suspect proned-out. "Contact," said the downtown guy. "Cover," I replied. He moved-in to cuff him while I kept the red laser of the Taser in the centre of his back. "Don't don anything dumb or you're gonna get lit-up," I said.
He was cuffed and brought to one of the cruisers.
The driver was on a warrant plus numerous breaches. The passenger had breaches, not to mention the Flight charge, Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of Break-in Instruments for both of them. The safe belonged to a drug dealer who wasn't cooperating, so we couldn't get the Break and Enter or Possession of Goods Obtained by Crime.
During the Duty Inspector's briefing, she told us the only reason she didn't abort the pursuit on the icy winter roads was that my partner was extremely calm and reassuringly in control of the situation while he was voicing over the radio.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
The Shame of Canada
Posted by: Blue
About a week ago, an off-duty officer came across a domestic assault in progress. A repeat violent offender was beating his girlfriend senseless in a 7-11. The veteran officer stepped in, identifying himself as a police officer and attempting to pull the criminal off of the victim. The assaulter turned and began beating the officer, delivering a flurry of fists to his face in an alcohol and drug fuelled rage. The cop was beaten down, as was another citizen who stepped-in to help.
The officer received the worst of the injuries, including a broken orbital bone and the likelihood that he would be permanently blind in one eye.
The offender was taken into custody a short time later.
He received bail a number of hours later, despite the fact that he was already pending a number of other charges, not to mention the seriousness of the offence.
Sadly, Canada seems to have the position that the rights and freedoms of criminals are more important than those of the victims and the public.
I took my Canadian flag off of my vest yesterday. I'm ashamed to wear it right now.
About a week ago, an off-duty officer came across a domestic assault in progress. A repeat violent offender was beating his girlfriend senseless in a 7-11. The veteran officer stepped in, identifying himself as a police officer and attempting to pull the criminal off of the victim. The assaulter turned and began beating the officer, delivering a flurry of fists to his face in an alcohol and drug fuelled rage. The cop was beaten down, as was another citizen who stepped-in to help.
The officer received the worst of the injuries, including a broken orbital bone and the likelihood that he would be permanently blind in one eye.
The offender was taken into custody a short time later.
He received bail a number of hours later, despite the fact that he was already pending a number of other charges, not to mention the seriousness of the offence.
Sadly, Canada seems to have the position that the rights and freedoms of criminals are more important than those of the victims and the public.
I took my Canadian flag off of my vest yesterday. I'm ashamed to wear it right now.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Foot Chase the Sequel
Posted by: Blue
Today we responded to a Domestic where the complainant's ex-boyfriend was running away with their shared child.
We were close by and volunteered, pre-empting off of our held call. We spotted the suspect almost right away, running across the street carrying a small, scared-looking 3 year old boy.
We shouted at him to put the child down, which he did, but then he took off running right away again. The mother swooped in and grabbed her child.
It was like a circus watching us chase the guy in circles around the block.
We lost sight of him after one corner. A passer-by shouted "Pine tree! Pine tree!"
A single pine was in a lawn about a quarter of the way up the block. I passed by once but didn't see anything. I doubled back and then I spotted him; peering out from beneath the lowest boughs.
"Police! Stop! Show me your hands! If you run again I'm going to Taser you!"
He jumped up to run. I hit him with a textbook spread of the probes in the centre of his lower back, dropping him in his tracks. I didn't give him the full 5 second ride. He was locked-up and shouting "OK! OK! OK!". I switched it off after 2 or 3 seconds and he was ready to comply.
I found out later that it was the third time he had been Tasered. He had only been out of jail for a couple of weeks and was on two Probation Orders for separate Assaults on the same woman.
I scraped up my right knee bailing on a corner with loose gravel again and ripped my pants. The Sergeant granted me a no-charge slip.
Today we responded to a Domestic where the complainant's ex-boyfriend was running away with their shared child.
We were close by and volunteered, pre-empting off of our held call. We spotted the suspect almost right away, running across the street carrying a small, scared-looking 3 year old boy.
We shouted at him to put the child down, which he did, but then he took off running right away again. The mother swooped in and grabbed her child.
It was like a circus watching us chase the guy in circles around the block.
We lost sight of him after one corner. A passer-by shouted "Pine tree! Pine tree!"
A single pine was in a lawn about a quarter of the way up the block. I passed by once but didn't see anything. I doubled back and then I spotted him; peering out from beneath the lowest boughs.
"Police! Stop! Show me your hands! If you run again I'm going to Taser you!"
He jumped up to run. I hit him with a textbook spread of the probes in the centre of his lower back, dropping him in his tracks. I didn't give him the full 5 second ride. He was locked-up and shouting "OK! OK! OK!". I switched it off after 2 or 3 seconds and he was ready to comply.
I found out later that it was the third time he had been Tasered. He had only been out of jail for a couple of weeks and was on two Probation Orders for separate Assaults on the same woman.
I scraped up my right knee bailing on a corner with loose gravel again and ripped my pants. The Sergeant granted me a no-charge slip.
Monday, March 25, 2013
The Liquor Store
Posted by: Blue
Two nights ago, we were assigned to a disturbance right out of the station before briefing was complete.
Six minutes later, we were fighting with the suspect in the middle of a crowded liquor store.
We gave him a number of knee strikes aimed at his common peroneal nerves and finally managed to pull his hands from under his body and got him into cuffs.
He was negative for any police involvement other than traffic tickets. He calmed down and ended up at the tank for the next few hours.
My right knee still hurts. I missed the common peroneal and drove my knee straight into his hip.
Two nights ago, we were assigned to a disturbance right out of the station before briefing was complete.
Six minutes later, we were fighting with the suspect in the middle of a crowded liquor store.
We gave him a number of knee strikes aimed at his common peroneal nerves and finally managed to pull his hands from under his body and got him into cuffs.
He was negative for any police involvement other than traffic tickets. He calmed down and ended up at the tank for the next few hours.
My right knee still hurts. I missed the common peroneal and drove my knee straight into his hip.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
False Perspective
Posted by: Blue
Last night we responded to a male holding a knife to his throat in the shower.
We got there moments after my Patrol Sergeant did.
The guy was locked in his bathroom and the shower was running.
"John, come on out here. Put the knife on the floor and show us your hands. We have a taser."
"Just use a nail or something on the door. It's one of those locks you can open with a nail."
"I don't have a nail, John. Open the door or I'm gonna kick it down."
"Am I going to jail?"
"Well, John, you haven't hurt anyone have you?"
"No..."
"And you haven't threatened anyone have you?"
"No..."
"Then why would I take you to jail? But I need you to open the door so that I don't have to kick it down and taser you."
"Just a sec. I'm gonna put my robe on."
John finally came out of the bathroom. We cuffed him and searched him and then took him into custody under the Mental Health Act.
On the way to the hospital for a mandatory psychological evaluation, John said "I just wish my wife hadn't come home. She's so crazy. She makes everything worse. She's just so crazy."
Last night we responded to a male holding a knife to his throat in the shower.
We got there moments after my Patrol Sergeant did.
The guy was locked in his bathroom and the shower was running.
"John, come on out here. Put the knife on the floor and show us your hands. We have a taser."
"Just use a nail or something on the door. It's one of those locks you can open with a nail."
"I don't have a nail, John. Open the door or I'm gonna kick it down."
"Am I going to jail?"
"Well, John, you haven't hurt anyone have you?"
"No..."
"And you haven't threatened anyone have you?"
"No..."
"Then why would I take you to jail? But I need you to open the door so that I don't have to kick it down and taser you."
"Just a sec. I'm gonna put my robe on."
John finally came out of the bathroom. We cuffed him and searched him and then took him into custody under the Mental Health Act.
On the way to the hospital for a mandatory psychological evaluation, John said "I just wish my wife hadn't come home. She's so crazy. She makes everything worse. She's just so crazy."
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Tommy Solami Part III
Posted by: Blue
We got a call that there was a male at the complainant's apartment door with a knife trying to break the door down.
We showed up a short time later and found the apartment building quiet. The suspect had apparently left and was nowhere to be seen during a search of the building.
We spoke to the complainant who clearly had a number of stab marks in his front door.
The trouble with his neighbour had started when he had found his neighbour's girlfriend standing in the hallway buck naked and locked out of her apartment a few weeks ago. The neighbour was Tommy. The girlfriend was Mariah. The complainant had given Mariah a phone to use and a set of clothes to wear. Tommy had become convinced that they were sleeping together and today he had gotten good and drunk and gone over the edge.
We decided to try knocking on Tommy's door which was a floor up. We knocked and knocked and called to Tommy through the door, but there was no answer. We were just discussing whether to write him up for warrant when we heard a noise in the stairwell behind us. We both turned just as the door opened into the hall.
There was Tommy. Shirtless again. His stitches in his neck looked red and infected. We both drew down on him, 'cause he apparently had a knife. I pulled the Taser, my partner pulled his Glock. We yelled at Tommy to get down. I called him by name. He had a series of facial expressions going from fear to acceptance to relief. He recognized us just as he started raising his hands into the air and said "Oh thank God it's you guys!" He continued onto the floor into the prone position and gave us no trouble.
"You still have a knife on you, Tommy?"
"Ya. Ya, it's in my back pocket."
"OK. Don't reach for it or you're gonna get either shot or tasered or both. You understand?"
"Ya. I'm just glad it's you guys. You guys are good guys."
We cuffed him and took him down to the car. I arrested him for all of the nonsense that had happened that night.
On the way back to the station, I asked him what his version of the story was.
"Well, about a week ago, we were having sex on the couch and then we finished and everything was good until she told me to get her a cheeseburger. I told her 'forget it, bitch, I'm not your servant', but she wouldn't give it up. She kept demanding a cheeseburger, so I threw.... I shoved.... I placed her gently outside the apartment and locked her out. That guy from that apartment brought her into his place and she's been fucking him ever since. Tonight I just lost it."
"Ya. You kinda did."
JT and I laughed. Tommy laughed.
"Thanks for being good with me guys. I'm glad it was you that came to arrest me."
"Tommy, you've gotta get rid of the girl and quit drinkin' man. No woman is worth going to jail over just cause she's screwing some other dude."
"Ya. I know. She's such a bitch. But I love her."
Back at the station, we introduced Tommy to our Sergeant as "Tommy Solami". The Sergeant snapped his head up from his desk.
"THE Tommy Solami?!"
"Yes sir. The very one and only."
"How do you know about me?" Tommy asked.
Just then a few other cops walked by. We informed them that they were in the presence of the legend, Tommy Solami. They all raised their eyebrows and a couple of them went to shake his hand, playing along with our mock reverence (which of course didn't work because Tommy was cuffed). It was clear that the attention was going to Tommy's head.
"Everyone knows you here, Tommy. We were telling the whole shift about you when we were looking for Mariah."
As we carted him off to his cell, we passed the detective's office and Tommy hollered out "Hey guys, it's me, Tommy Solami! Need an autograph? I'm here all night!"
We finished our reports, hauled him away to jail and locked him up, still beaming.
The best part of the night was still to come. When we came into the provincial jail, Tommy walked up to one of the grumpy senior guards and tried to shake his hand (once the cuffs had come off), introducing himself as "The Famous Tommy Solami". It was clear then that his fame had not extended to the provincial jail quite yet, because the guard simply responded "I don't give a FUCK who you are! Shut your mouth and listen to what we tell you to do when we tell you to do it and there won't be any problems."
We got a call that there was a male at the complainant's apartment door with a knife trying to break the door down.
We showed up a short time later and found the apartment building quiet. The suspect had apparently left and was nowhere to be seen during a search of the building.
We spoke to the complainant who clearly had a number of stab marks in his front door.
The trouble with his neighbour had started when he had found his neighbour's girlfriend standing in the hallway buck naked and locked out of her apartment a few weeks ago. The neighbour was Tommy. The girlfriend was Mariah. The complainant had given Mariah a phone to use and a set of clothes to wear. Tommy had become convinced that they were sleeping together and today he had gotten good and drunk and gone over the edge.
We decided to try knocking on Tommy's door which was a floor up. We knocked and knocked and called to Tommy through the door, but there was no answer. We were just discussing whether to write him up for warrant when we heard a noise in the stairwell behind us. We both turned just as the door opened into the hall.
There was Tommy. Shirtless again. His stitches in his neck looked red and infected. We both drew down on him, 'cause he apparently had a knife. I pulled the Taser, my partner pulled his Glock. We yelled at Tommy to get down. I called him by name. He had a series of facial expressions going from fear to acceptance to relief. He recognized us just as he started raising his hands into the air and said "Oh thank God it's you guys!" He continued onto the floor into the prone position and gave us no trouble.
"You still have a knife on you, Tommy?"
"Ya. Ya, it's in my back pocket."
"OK. Don't reach for it or you're gonna get either shot or tasered or both. You understand?"
"Ya. I'm just glad it's you guys. You guys are good guys."
We cuffed him and took him down to the car. I arrested him for all of the nonsense that had happened that night.
On the way back to the station, I asked him what his version of the story was.
"Well, about a week ago, we were having sex on the couch and then we finished and everything was good until she told me to get her a cheeseburger. I told her 'forget it, bitch, I'm not your servant', but she wouldn't give it up. She kept demanding a cheeseburger, so I threw.... I shoved.... I placed her gently outside the apartment and locked her out. That guy from that apartment brought her into his place and she's been fucking him ever since. Tonight I just lost it."
"Ya. You kinda did."
JT and I laughed. Tommy laughed.
"Thanks for being good with me guys. I'm glad it was you that came to arrest me."
"Tommy, you've gotta get rid of the girl and quit drinkin' man. No woman is worth going to jail over just cause she's screwing some other dude."
"Ya. I know. She's such a bitch. But I love her."
Back at the station, we introduced Tommy to our Sergeant as "Tommy Solami". The Sergeant snapped his head up from his desk.
"THE Tommy Solami?!"
"Yes sir. The very one and only."
"How do you know about me?" Tommy asked.
Just then a few other cops walked by. We informed them that they were in the presence of the legend, Tommy Solami. They all raised their eyebrows and a couple of them went to shake his hand, playing along with our mock reverence (which of course didn't work because Tommy was cuffed). It was clear that the attention was going to Tommy's head.
"Everyone knows you here, Tommy. We were telling the whole shift about you when we were looking for Mariah."
As we carted him off to his cell, we passed the detective's office and Tommy hollered out "Hey guys, it's me, Tommy Solami! Need an autograph? I'm here all night!"
We finished our reports, hauled him away to jail and locked him up, still beaming.
The best part of the night was still to come. When we came into the provincial jail, Tommy walked up to one of the grumpy senior guards and tried to shake his hand (once the cuffs had come off), introducing himself as "The Famous Tommy Solami". It was clear then that his fame had not extended to the provincial jail quite yet, because the guard simply responded "I don't give a FUCK who you are! Shut your mouth and listen to what we tell you to do when we tell you to do it and there won't be any problems."
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Answers II
Posted by: Blue
Courtesy of Raindog:
4) Have you been tasered or peppered sprayed in training?
5) What is the type of population that you serve?
6) What is the typical type of calls you field?
4) I was both Tasered and pepper sprayed in training. The Tasering however was only a drive-stun, not the full 5 seconds of riding the lightning with the probes. I hated the pepper spray way more than the Taser. The service would not permit us to be properly Tasered, however I am curious and if they ever start allowing it again, I will be headed back to the academy to volunteer. I really, really hate pepper spray.
5) The population of our city is somewhere close to 700,000. Our district has well over 100,000 people with a 3 car minimum (which is seldom supplemented). There is a 27 car minimum city-wide and 5 districts (soon to be 4), ours being one of the largest in area, and the smallest in cars.
6) We take every type of call imaginable. The highest percentage is definitely Domestics. My partner and I have a penchant for finding missing persons and also for any child-related calls, but we basically just try to take whatever comes our way in the district in an effort to keep ahead of the bad guys.
Courtesy of Raindog:
4) Have you been tasered or peppered sprayed in training?
5) What is the type of population that you serve?
6) What is the typical type of calls you field?
4) I was both Tasered and pepper sprayed in training. The Tasering however was only a drive-stun, not the full 5 seconds of riding the lightning with the probes. I hated the pepper spray way more than the Taser. The service would not permit us to be properly Tasered, however I am curious and if they ever start allowing it again, I will be headed back to the academy to volunteer. I really, really hate pepper spray.
5) The population of our city is somewhere close to 700,000. Our district has well over 100,000 people with a 3 car minimum (which is seldom supplemented). There is a 27 car minimum city-wide and 5 districts (soon to be 4), ours being one of the largest in area, and the smallest in cars.
6) We take every type of call imaginable. The highest percentage is definitely Domestics. My partner and I have a penchant for finding missing persons and also for any child-related calls, but we basically just try to take whatever comes our way in the district in an effort to keep ahead of the bad guys.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Answers I
Posted by: Blue
Courtesy of Raindog:
1) What is your primary sidearm?
2) What is the patrol car you drive every day?
3) Have you been in a good fight?
1) My primary sidearm is a M22 Glock .40 calibre, drawn right-handed from a Level 3 Blackhawk holster. We are not permitted secondary firearms and the Glock is standard issue with no other options unless you are small-handed, in which case you are issued the Springfield XD40. Given a choice, I'd be sticking with my Glock. We also have Police Model Remington 870 Shotguns in the cars with 5 rounds of 00 buckshot. I am told the service is looking into a carbine program which would introduce a .223 C7 Colt into the cruisers as well.
2) We drive the Crown Vics and nothing else in General Patrol. The service put in a huge order for extras when it was announced that they would be discontinued. I have heard a number of rumours about the possible replacements, including the Holden Caprice out of Australia, however the other day I was at the garage and they were setting-up two trial cars; the Dodge Charger and the Ford Taurus 4WD. I don't like either as much as the Crown Victoria as I am already too tall for the Vic and there is even less room in the two new ones.
3) I have not as of yet been in a good fight. I suspect that my size, my partner's size, and our ability to glare like a pair of cobras has taken the fight out of any of the would-be fighters thus far. There have been some struggles, but nothing "knock-down, drag-out".
Courtesy of Raindog:
1) What is your primary sidearm?
2) What is the patrol car you drive every day?
3) Have you been in a good fight?
1) My primary sidearm is a M22 Glock .40 calibre, drawn right-handed from a Level 3 Blackhawk holster. We are not permitted secondary firearms and the Glock is standard issue with no other options unless you are small-handed, in which case you are issued the Springfield XD40. Given a choice, I'd be sticking with my Glock. We also have Police Model Remington 870 Shotguns in the cars with 5 rounds of 00 buckshot. I am told the service is looking into a carbine program which would introduce a .223 C7 Colt into the cruisers as well.
2) We drive the Crown Vics and nothing else in General Patrol. The service put in a huge order for extras when it was announced that they would be discontinued. I have heard a number of rumours about the possible replacements, including the Holden Caprice out of Australia, however the other day I was at the garage and they were setting-up two trial cars; the Dodge Charger and the Ford Taurus 4WD. I don't like either as much as the Crown Victoria as I am already too tall for the Vic and there is even less room in the two new ones.
3) I have not as of yet been in a good fight. I suspect that my size, my partner's size, and our ability to glare like a pair of cobras has taken the fight out of any of the would-be fighters thus far. There have been some struggles, but nothing "knock-down, drag-out".
Monday, January 16, 2012
Recruits
Posted by: Blue
The new recruits are out on field training. I am no longer the junior officer on our shift.
The new recruit has already been in her first tussel with a Mental Health patient. Her field training officer was happy because she jumped right in without hesitating.
Top marks for the most important category: Officer Safety.
The new recruits are out on field training. I am no longer the junior officer on our shift.
The new recruit has already been in her first tussel with a Mental Health patient. Her field training officer was happy because she jumped right in without hesitating.
Top marks for the most important category: Officer Safety.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Takedown
Posted by: Blue
This past Sunday, while on evening shift, the Sergeant gave us an early leave to go for wings and a brew.
The four of us had a round of each and then headed off home.
Unbeknownst to us, three blocks away was a shooting just as we were leaving.
The suspect vehicle was described as a black Dodge Ram.
One of my shift-mates was driving a dark blue Chevy Silverado.
The helicopter picked him up on camera and sicced the night shift crew on him. He was followed all the way accross the city to a few blocks away from home where he was taken down in a high-risk traffic stop. Guns drawn, keys out the window, proned-out on the ground, whirlybird circling the entire time.
It was all the talk at Monday shift briefing. He didn't think it was as funny as we did.
This past Sunday, while on evening shift, the Sergeant gave us an early leave to go for wings and a brew.
The four of us had a round of each and then headed off home.
Unbeknownst to us, three blocks away was a shooting just as we were leaving.
The suspect vehicle was described as a black Dodge Ram.
One of my shift-mates was driving a dark blue Chevy Silverado.
The helicopter picked him up on camera and sicced the night shift crew on him. He was followed all the way accross the city to a few blocks away from home where he was taken down in a high-risk traffic stop. Guns drawn, keys out the window, proned-out on the ground, whirlybird circling the entire time.
It was all the talk at Monday shift briefing. He didn't think it was as funny as we did.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The 11th Hour
Posted by: Blue
Well...
Less than 4 weeks left.
I will officially be posted to field training by the 21st. I'm not sure just yet how my shifts will look, but I am hoping for "B-side" (the second set of shifts who are on when A-side is off; see 4-10) . I hope that my marks will grease the wheels in that direction. I've made some good friends who all seem to be headed for B-side, including some excellent instructors and training officers.
I've got to admit, I'm feeling slightly apprehensive about being on the street for the first time. I will have my gun, badge, OC spray, and ID card issued on the second-last day of classes. Then within a few days, I am off to my second call.
We have had a few very interesting lectures in the past few weeks, including two officers who had been involved in lethal-force encounters. Both officers had shot and killed their suspects. One was 8 weeks out of the academy. A sobering thought.
Last week we had some training with fighting and use-of-force. One of the days we were given blue-guns (a working pistol by the same manufacturer as our service pistol that shoots blanks and Simunition rounds), and we ran through a number of encounters from suicidals to knives to compliant people to shoot-outs. It was the first time any of us had pointed a gun at another human. It was also the first time that I found myself picturing a person dead by my hand. I hope and pray that I never have to take that life.
On a lighter note, this past weekend was a long one for us. I went camping with some friends from academy. We probably all should have been studying for tomorrow's test, but we couldn't help ourselves. I brought my leaky old boat with my faithful 1972 motor, and we managed to catch our lunch one day. Two big Pickerel (Though I think any of you Yankees reading might know them as Walleye). It rained most of the weekend, but we made the best of it. I love these new friends and comrades. One thing is certain: I know I can trust each and every one of them with my life. That's a reassuring feeling.
I'm really interested, given my impending street-baptism, to hear some stories of your first days out there, and what it feels like to "go live" for the first time. Hope you're all having a good day.
Cheers
Well...
Less than 4 weeks left.
I will officially be posted to field training by the 21st. I'm not sure just yet how my shifts will look, but I am hoping for "B-side" (the second set of shifts who are on when A-side is off; see 4-10) . I hope that my marks will grease the wheels in that direction. I've made some good friends who all seem to be headed for B-side, including some excellent instructors and training officers.
I've got to admit, I'm feeling slightly apprehensive about being on the street for the first time. I will have my gun, badge, OC spray, and ID card issued on the second-last day of classes. Then within a few days, I am off to my second call.
We have had a few very interesting lectures in the past few weeks, including two officers who had been involved in lethal-force encounters. Both officers had shot and killed their suspects. One was 8 weeks out of the academy. A sobering thought.
Last week we had some training with fighting and use-of-force. One of the days we were given blue-guns (a working pistol by the same manufacturer as our service pistol that shoots blanks and Simunition rounds), and we ran through a number of encounters from suicidals to knives to compliant people to shoot-outs. It was the first time any of us had pointed a gun at another human. It was also the first time that I found myself picturing a person dead by my hand. I hope and pray that I never have to take that life.
On a lighter note, this past weekend was a long one for us. I went camping with some friends from academy. We probably all should have been studying for tomorrow's test, but we couldn't help ourselves. I brought my leaky old boat with my faithful 1972 motor, and we managed to catch our lunch one day. Two big Pickerel (Though I think any of you Yankees reading might know them as Walleye). It rained most of the weekend, but we made the best of it. I love these new friends and comrades. One thing is certain: I know I can trust each and every one of them with my life. That's a reassuring feeling.
I'm really interested, given my impending street-baptism, to hear some stories of your first days out there, and what it feels like to "go live" for the first time. Hope you're all having a good day.
Cheers
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