Chapter 421

At 3AM my phone rang; I was expecting the worst from Africa, instead it was bad from KCC. One of my guys - Matt Roberts - had shot and killed one man and wounded another while they were trying to carjack a car on the street in front of college.

I was at the college at 3:45; this day was not going to be a good day either. I talked to the college security desk as I drove.

The two villains had dragged the man out of the car in his driveway and he had been fighting them when both of them pulled a knife. Matt had been walking the street in front of the college on the foot patrol segment of the beat. Matt was across the driveway when the action started and had immediately gone to assist.

As soon as the knives appeared, Matt shot both of them with a 3 round sequence to each target. One died immediately and the other was in surgery at the hospital 300 yards away.

I stopped as close to the scene as I could get and walked there. There were news trucks with towers in the air filling the street and reporters running everywhere. They joined all the police and rescue trucks that had the scene lit up like noon time.

I walked up to the yellow police tape, moved several people out of the way, and then ducked under the tape. Even though I was in my KCC uniform, an officer immediately headed my way to stop me.

I identified myself and presented my KCC security badge, “Direct me to the person in charge.”

“For the town, that would be Chief Dustin Banks and State Police Major Ashley. They are over there by the car,” he replied as he pointed.

The officer had keyed his radio to announce that I was on the way as I walked towards them.

“Well, the world traveler has returned. I wondered if you were going to have to fly in from some distant far off land,” Major Ashley said.

“I’m only here for a little while longer, you will not even miss me when I am gone,” I replied.

“So the rumors are true that you are leaving,” Major Ashley replied.

“Yes, at the end of the year; I am working a reduced schedule now,” I replied.

“What can you tell me about what happened here, that I don’t already know?”

“Looks like your man interrupted a carjacking and used deadly force when they pulled weapons on the car owner. Naturally we have to go the distance with the investigation. We have his sidearm and will hold it until we are through and the DA reviews the evidence and makes a decision,” the Major replied.

“I will assign him to a desk until something is settled,” I replied.

“Why was he not wearing a body cam?” Chief Banks asked.

“Student body was against it. The student union said it was an invasion of their privacy and against their rights to be filmed any time an officer was in their area. I guess they never gave it a thought that the entire campus is under 24/7 video surveillance.”

“The board made the final decision but it did not break my heart, there is enough second guessing of what everyone does without having to put video into the mix. There are already agencies that are critiquing the video so closely, people are leaving the police force.”

“No two people react the same way to same situation: all scenarios can’t be answered by a script out of the book. Believe me, I have I have been there and done that. To sit down and dress down an employee because he said but instead of or is just plain ridiculous, let alone the massive cost.”

“Hire the best people you can; give them the best training that money can buy. Hire enough people to avoid high levels of unnecessary stress and fatigue caused by hours and hours of overtime; those are the two worst things that cause mistakes,” I said.

“You can do that; we don’t have that luxury of being the boss with the money. We ask but we never get what we want,” Major Ashley replied.

“Change the approach, use better documentation, overload them with the facts and data,” I replied.

“I almost sure that none of our cameras cover this side of the street in this area, but I will look. Where is my man? Have you finished with him, is he free to come to the security office?” I asked.