Crystal Pistol
September 11th, 2005, 00:07
I posted this over on EW, but thought I'ld post it here as well.
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Working midnight shift, it's about 1 am and I get a call that there is a victim in a station wagon following a SUV that struck the vehicle a ways back in the previous county, and they aren't far from me judging by the mile post given. I figure they are ahead of me when I merge NB, and so I step it up a little and catch the vehicles several miles later. They are running about 75, one behind the other but otherwise, doing OK. I heard some talk from truckers on the CB as I overtook them, not in detail but enough to know that truckers were aware of something between these 4 wheelers as well.
I give the dispatcher the tag numbers of both vehicles and descriptions, along with my anticipated location for my stop that I was going to do. I hit the lights, get them both on the side, find one very agitated individual in the rear station wagon with minor tire marks on the driver door and a busted mirror, it's a mid '80s Cavalier. This guy is screeming that the SUV driver tried to kill him.
The SUV driver gets out, he's scared to death, has MS and must use a cane. He doesn't know why this car has been following him, I look at his vehicle ... yep .... his right rear tire rubbed something the same color as the wagon ... looks like they got together. I finally let the drivers get within hearing distance of eachh other as I look over the licenses and regestrations and prepare to write it up as the non-reportable 10-50 that it was, and the wagon driver is livid that I'm not arresting the SUV driver for attempted homicide or felonious assault. I explain that there simply isn't enough there for me to make that case. The SUV driver says he didn't even know they hit.
Suddenly, the wagon driver turns towards the SUV driver in a threatening manner and the SUV driver shouts back ... and I go between them in a flash to stop something but I don't stop there, as I clear the way between them I turn to deal with the potential problem wagon driver and I hear a shout ... and look to see the SUV driver face down with his cane away from him. I may have caused him to loose his balance, I don't know ... but I first must settle down the wagon driver and then I assist the SUV driver to his feet.
All is back on better terms now, I feel I am getting somewhere in explaining this and I offer to get a LEO from the county where all this took place to assist the wagon driver with warrants if he wants to go that route, but I explain that I am not going to make such an arrest then and there. Any warrants could be executed later, they are both residents of the state. Wagon driver still not happy though ....
Then, suddenly, here is a nearby City police car and a County Deputy pulling in behind me and at the same time ... my dispatcher is calling me wanting to know if I am OK? I reply "10-4" in a calm manner, and they ask again, and again I reply "10-4, I'm fine, but my drivers are upset ... why do you ask?" and the dispatcher tells me that they got some calls in which made them worry about me.
The City officer and County deputy both are bailing out, and then they tell me that several truckers called in on 911 and said that a trooper was in a fight with two men and that one ran from the scene.
Oh, OK! :cool: I see now!
Well, it's good they are there now, now I can deal more effectively with each driver without having to watch the other or without having them so close to each other. Soon, after the deputy and officer both attempt to explain again to the wagon driver what I had already told him (same laws), he states he wants to just forget it, so while they have him distracted, I go to the SUV and he says he's OK, that soap and water will fix his tire, and so I tell him goodnight and he leaves after I assure him the wagon will not follow him. 5 minutes later after more discussion and having to hear the names of the LEOs that he works out with, the wagon driver turns and sees the SUV is gone. He wants to know where he went, I said "Home I guess" and then I reminded him that he told me to forget the whole thing. Now, he too leaves, and I watch as he uses an exit that means he will not ever catch up with the SUV.
Now ... I don't doubt that the SUV probably drifted into the side of the wagon as the wagon driver claimed, but no way was this an assault with a vehicle. We offered to assist him with warrants if he wanted, he refused. So all that is a done deal.
What I wanted to say Thanks for was those drivers who saw something unusual happening, and even though they didn't know exactly what, took time to call in on the 911 lines and alert someone. :)
__________________________________________________ _____________
Working midnight shift, it's about 1 am and I get a call that there is a victim in a station wagon following a SUV that struck the vehicle a ways back in the previous county, and they aren't far from me judging by the mile post given. I figure they are ahead of me when I merge NB, and so I step it up a little and catch the vehicles several miles later. They are running about 75, one behind the other but otherwise, doing OK. I heard some talk from truckers on the CB as I overtook them, not in detail but enough to know that truckers were aware of something between these 4 wheelers as well.
I give the dispatcher the tag numbers of both vehicles and descriptions, along with my anticipated location for my stop that I was going to do. I hit the lights, get them both on the side, find one very agitated individual in the rear station wagon with minor tire marks on the driver door and a busted mirror, it's a mid '80s Cavalier. This guy is screeming that the SUV driver tried to kill him.
The SUV driver gets out, he's scared to death, has MS and must use a cane. He doesn't know why this car has been following him, I look at his vehicle ... yep .... his right rear tire rubbed something the same color as the wagon ... looks like they got together. I finally let the drivers get within hearing distance of eachh other as I look over the licenses and regestrations and prepare to write it up as the non-reportable 10-50 that it was, and the wagon driver is livid that I'm not arresting the SUV driver for attempted homicide or felonious assault. I explain that there simply isn't enough there for me to make that case. The SUV driver says he didn't even know they hit.
Suddenly, the wagon driver turns towards the SUV driver in a threatening manner and the SUV driver shouts back ... and I go between them in a flash to stop something but I don't stop there, as I clear the way between them I turn to deal with the potential problem wagon driver and I hear a shout ... and look to see the SUV driver face down with his cane away from him. I may have caused him to loose his balance, I don't know ... but I first must settle down the wagon driver and then I assist the SUV driver to his feet.
All is back on better terms now, I feel I am getting somewhere in explaining this and I offer to get a LEO from the county where all this took place to assist the wagon driver with warrants if he wants to go that route, but I explain that I am not going to make such an arrest then and there. Any warrants could be executed later, they are both residents of the state. Wagon driver still not happy though ....
Then, suddenly, here is a nearby City police car and a County Deputy pulling in behind me and at the same time ... my dispatcher is calling me wanting to know if I am OK? I reply "10-4" in a calm manner, and they ask again, and again I reply "10-4, I'm fine, but my drivers are upset ... why do you ask?" and the dispatcher tells me that they got some calls in which made them worry about me.
The City officer and County deputy both are bailing out, and then they tell me that several truckers called in on 911 and said that a trooper was in a fight with two men and that one ran from the scene.
Oh, OK! :cool: I see now!
Well, it's good they are there now, now I can deal more effectively with each driver without having to watch the other or without having them so close to each other. Soon, after the deputy and officer both attempt to explain again to the wagon driver what I had already told him (same laws), he states he wants to just forget it, so while they have him distracted, I go to the SUV and he says he's OK, that soap and water will fix his tire, and so I tell him goodnight and he leaves after I assure him the wagon will not follow him. 5 minutes later after more discussion and having to hear the names of the LEOs that he works out with, the wagon driver turns and sees the SUV is gone. He wants to know where he went, I said "Home I guess" and then I reminded him that he told me to forget the whole thing. Now, he too leaves, and I watch as he uses an exit that means he will not ever catch up with the SUV.
Now ... I don't doubt that the SUV probably drifted into the side of the wagon as the wagon driver claimed, but no way was this an assault with a vehicle. We offered to assist him with warrants if he wanted, he refused. So all that is a done deal.
What I wanted to say Thanks for was those drivers who saw something unusual happening, and even though they didn't know exactly what, took time to call in on the 911 lines and alert someone. :)