Ive done many calls during my career, some routine, some intense, and some that suck.
Well this past week I had one of the suckiest calls I've ever been dispatched to, A sixteen year old kid (not a gangbanger, no criminal record or even a parking ticket) playing basketball in the park with his friends took one round right in the forehead.
I was one of the first cops on scene and as soon as I got close enough I saw where he was shot and I hoped against all hope that he got grazed and fainted or something like that. But as soon as I got down low enough to assess I realized it was really serious. He was already doing the death breathing. (for those who have never heard it, it sounds like the persons snoring) he was "guarding" which means his arms and legs were turning inward on themselves, and he was clenching his teeth. (which are sure signs of serious brain injury)
I spent the early hours of the morning being the go-between for our detectives and the State Investigation Team. All the while knowing this kid was in all likeliehood going to die and listening to his friends voicing their hopes and reassuring eachother that "he is strong, he can make it"
My oldest daughter is 6 years younger than this kid, plays organized sports that place her in parks during games and practices and this call hit me and haunted me more than most calls tend to do. As I said before I have done many calls since becoming a cop and there have been murders, shootings, stabbings, child abuse calls and rapes that I have investigated. So I dont consider myself a yokel cop.
But this call has taken a lot out of me and so far is taking a lot of time to get out of my system.
I got home and crashed out for a few hours and during my hours of slumber one of the banks in town had an armed armed robbery. When I got back into work that night we had another shooting, thankfully though this nitwit had bad aim and slow legs. We got him right outside the nightclub he shot up.
(Part three: the week ends on a higher note)
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