This is why we train......

I have been thinking about the following incident since it occurred on the 26th of last month. I also realized a few things after it occurred. Even though I did not believe at the time that I was truly in any danger, it served as a vivid reminder why we train for any eventuality. It reinforced that even though the daily grind seems important at the moment, in the greater scheme of life, the daily annoyances are just annoyances. It also proved once again that there are guardian angels watching out for us and that they keep our loved ones in tune to what happens to and around us.

I am normally off on Saturday nights, but this particular night, I was covering for an officer who was doing his monthly weekend reserve duty. Our patrol units were called to assist another agency and my sergeant was asked if we could transport a juvenile offender to the detention center in a neighboring city. As we were not very busy, he told the officer that we would take care of the transport.

When the sergeant came up to the jail and told me about the request, I told him that I would take care of the detail. I pulled the offender out of the holding cell, handcuffed him, and took him to our unmarked Impala to drive him to the detention facility. During the drive, I noticed a van behind my vehicle, but as I was on a state highway, I paid it little mind other than to note its presence.

As I came to my exit, I signaled and made my turn. Just as I made my turn, I hear.....BANG!!....louder than any firecracker or backfiring vehicle. The kid in the back seat exclaims, "What was that!" I remarked that it was a gunshot.

I then looked in the rearview mirror and saw the van that was behind me on the highway still following my vehicle. Even though I was on a dark stretch of road, I could clearly see a person's torso leaning out of the passenger side of the van with his arm extended. At that moment, I then hear 4 more gunshots and observe the muzzle flash from the handgun in the subject's hand. The kid in the backseat then hollars, "Why are they trying to kill me!" and dives to the floor of the car.

To say that my fight or flight response kicked in is an understatement. I keyed my mic, called the incident into the dispatch center, and stepped on the accelerator to put some distance between myself and the shooters in case they decided to direct gunfire in my direction. As I gave the dispatch center as much of a description of the van as I could, the local police department had about 8-10 officers heading in my direction.

Once I had my charge safely deposited at the juvenile facility, I talked with officers from the jurisdiction and gave them what information I could about the vehicle and last seen direction of travel. As I was giving them my statement, they relayed that the sheriff's office had an earlier report of an armed robbery where the vehicle involved was a Ford window van.

I returned to my department and completed my shift without any further incidents. When I returned, I debated with myself if I should call my home and tell my wife about my adventure. At first, I thought I would keep it to myself,....she knows I have a potentially high risk occupation....no sense adding any further apprehension when I leave for work each night. Then I decided that if I said nothing, and she talked to one of my coworkers, it would come out and then I would be in for even more grief than if I just told her myself. So, I came up with a brilliant compromise with myself. Being the considerate husband that I am, I would wait to tell her until I got home the next morning...after all, if I called her right then, she probably would not be able to sleep that night.

When I arrived home the next morning, my mother-in-law and brother-in-law were at the house. Still feeling the adrenaline, I filled them in on my escapade. Shortly thereafter, my wife wakes up and I go into the bedroom to fill her in. After I tell her what happened, she looks at me and says, "I had knew something was up. I couldn't sleep and almost called you around 11pm, but I didn't want to you to think that something was wrong here and scare you."

The time that this all occurred you ask.............10:36pm. I truly believe that God was watching over me that night and let E know that I was okay.