Killer Nashville: A Preview Of My Presentations

Killer Nashville: A Preview Of My Presentations

It’s that time of the year, again, when writers from across the country meet in Nashville, the hometown of some of the greatest musicians in the world. But they’re not traveling there for the music. Nope. They’re packing their bags and hopping on planes and trains to attend one of my all-time favorite writers conferences, Killer Nashville.

Killer Nashville 2010 is a three-day event for authors and fans, and it features some of the most knowledgeable forensics, CSI, and police experts I’ve ever run across. Investigators from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) are always on hand to present top of the line workshops, and they also do a great job of staging realistic crime scenes.

I’ll be on hand again this year to present three of my own workshops. Here’s a sneak preview of what I have planned.

It looks as if I’m the opening act on Friday with CS I Don’t Think So, a session devoted to pointing out how television gets it right—and wrong.

Beginning Friday at 5:30 p.m. I’m hosting a breakout session called Defensive Tactics & Officer Survival. In addition to some pretty cool slides we’ll actually be doing a little hands-on training. Want to experience a bit of actual arrest and control techniques? Want to learn how to disarm an attacker? How about tips on handcuffing? Then please do drop in.

Finally, at 5 p.m. on Saturday I’ll be talking about medical examiners, coroners, and autopsy. This one’s not for the faint of heart! Warning…graphic images!

* I’m on my way to the conference so it will be later in the day before I check in. I do hope to see everyone in Nashville!

***Breaking News***

The Graveyard Shift is partnering with TNT (Turner Network Television) and YouCast to bring some really exciting events and contests to this site. Winners of the contests will receive prizes  related to some of the best cop dramas on TV today, such as Southland, The Closer, Rizzoli and Isles, Memphis Beat, and Leverage.

Please check back often. Details coming soon!

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What’s Inside An Unmarked Car?

What's Inside An Unmarked Car?

Lt. Danny Carter of the Forsyth County North Carolina Sheriff’s Office (Sheriff William T. Schatzman) was kind enough to give us a peek inside his unmarked Crown Victoria. Lt. Carter heads up the Field Services Division/ David Platoon for his department.

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is located in Winston Salem, N.C.

Mobile Data Terminal (MDT)

Here’s a look at some of the buttons, dials, switches, and other controls found on the console of a police car. Keep in mind that there is no set of standard equipment for police vehicles. Each department decides the type, make, model, and style of equipment they prefer to utilize. And some officers (me included), if allowed, choose to add an item or two to the menagerie of electronics. For example, a patrol officer who works traffic details on interstate highways may opt to install a CB radio in their car so they can contact truckers, if needed. However, some departments may not allow the installation of any electronic devices due to the possibility of damaging the vehicle’s already stretched-to-the-limit electronic system.

* I’m heading to Killer Nashville tomorrow to present a few workshops—Officer Survival/Police Defensive Tactics,  CS I Don’t Think So, and Autopsies. I do hope to see some of you there. It’s a fantastic event.

By the way, I’m searching for a victim…I mean assistant, for the defensive tactics workshop. Volunteers?

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Do Cops Ever Make Dumb Mistakes?

Do Cops Ever Make Dumb Mistakes?

Serving search warrants and entering homes and businesses to search for killers, robbers, and thieves is risky to say the least. And before going in there’s a ton of necessary preparation, not to mention the hours of training and practice that goes hand-in-hand with being a member of an entry team. After all, the goal is to make a swift and safe entry and to bring out the bad guys with no one getting hurt, including the crooks.

But, after all those hours of grueling training in harsh conditions, repeating the same tactics over and over again until they come as naturally as taking a breath, is it possible to make mistakes? If so, what kind?

Let’s have a brief look at some tiny errors made by cops. Errors most people would never in a million years think could happen.

1. Officers knock and announce their presence and purpose. Bam! Bam! Bam! “Police! Search warrant!” Then the door-kicking starts (or battering ram) until the jamb and lock give way. Officers are then able to storm the house after a full minute of pounding away at a metal door. Or, and it’s happened, officers kick and kick and kick trying to get inside a crack house, but the door won’t budge. They’re frantic so one cop gets ready to break a window when he suddenly hears a voice calling out from inside… “Use the door knob dumbass. It’s unlocked.”

2. A baby is trapped inside a locked car. The motor’s running and the mother is hysterical. She accidentally hit the lock on the driver’s door as she was getting out. “Please hurry! My baby’s so scared, and it’s really hot inside. Hurry!”

The responding officer peeks through the glass and sees that all four doors are securely locked, so he uses a Slim Jim to try and pop open the latches. But it just won’t seem to work this time. Precious minutes tick by as the temperature climbs past 90. The baby seems to be okay and the ambulance and fire crews are on the way. Another five minutes of jabbing the metal unlocking-tool inside the door panel and a fire truck pulls up. Whew! They’ll have the right equipment to get the kid out safely.

The fire captain hops out of the truck and walks up to the car. He steps around to the passenger door and calmly reaches inside through the OPEN window. Then he gently scoops up the cooing baby and hands her to her sobbing mother.

3. The prison Emergency Response Team has been called to extricate a suicidal inmate from his cell. The prisoner is extremely violent and he’s well known for hurting staff members. He’s also built like a bulldozer and is as strong as twenty men.

The team assembles at the cell door waiting for the command to go in. The lead officer has been issued a prison mattress and is holding it in front of his body like a shield. The idea is to rush the guy and pin him to the rear cell wall with the soft mattress. Then the team can easily restrain the guy. No problem. They’ve used the tactic several times before with great success. Never had an injury, either. There’s the count. One. Two. Three. Go!

The door opens and the 6’4, 250 pound ox of a man that’s wielding the mattress makes his move, but he steps on the bottom corner of the mattress and tumbles inside the cell. The rest of the team fall on top of him while the inmate looks on. He slowly begins to laugh and then starts to chuckle uncontrollably as the heavily armored team begins to get to their feet. The prisoner is now laughing so hard he can’t stop.

4. The man inside the building is wanted for murdering a cop. The team is anxious. He’s already said he would kill anyone who tried to arrest him.

It’s now or never. The commander gives the order to go. The dangerous entry is underway.

The third officer on the team is new. It’s only his second high-risk entry. But he’ll be all right after he gets a few raids under his belt. Besides, he had his act together during training. The team moves forward. Number three’s heart is pounding. His gun hand is trembling, slightly. Another two steps. He places his hand on the officer’s back directly in front of him, just like they’d practiced. Then BANG! His Sig just went off. It just went off and he doesn’t know why. That’s what he told the folks from IA and the investigator’s from the state police. It just went off. He hopes Number two will make it.

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Weekend Road Trip: Chasing A Dragonfly

Chasing a Dragonfly

 

Darting between moss-draped limbs, twisted, gnarled, and snarled.

Whizzing past a red-topped stalk, a lonely tease of color living alone in a world of green.

A stop on some bark and a rest on a post.

Flittering about, through roots and leaves and muck.

Dashing willy-nilly around the wilting Lilly.

A mirror? A piece of glass? Not too close or a meal for a bass.

A visit with a spider. A water-walker, light as a feather.

It was here and then it was gone.

A bolt of lightening.

A fly-by.

A buzzing.

A tease.

A no show.

And then…there it was was.

As still as stick. A lump. A knot.

Posing.

A click, a whir, and a flash.

And it was gone.

*     *     *

200 Word Short Story Contest Now Open!


The Writers’ Police Academy is pleased to announce the opening of the Golden Donut short story contest. The rules are simple. Write a story about the photograph above using exactly 200 words, including the title (each story must include an original title). All stories must be polished and complete, meaning they must have a beginning, middle, and a twisted ending that would make our keynote speaker proud. Again, all stories must be exactly 200 words. Not 201 or 199!

The contest winner will receive the prestigious Golden Donut Award (sponsored by the High Point North Carolina Public Library). All entries will be screened by a panel of authors who will select their ten favorite stories and then forward their picks to our mystery judge (identity will be revealed at the academy banquet). The masked decider will present the winning story title to the appropriate Writers’ Police Academy staff member. The winner’s name will be announced at the WPA banquet. The contest is open to everyone, not just attendees of the academy, and the winner need not be present to win.

Submission Guidelines:

Submission Deadline: September 10, 2010

– Any entry not meeting the exact 200 word requirement will be disqualified.

– Hyphenated words, for the purpose of this contest, will be counted as two words.

– Be sure to include your name, address, email address, telephone number(s), and title of your story on a cover letter that’s separate from your story page. DO NOT include your name anywhere on the story page or it will not be read by the judges.

There is a $10 entry fee. Checks or money orders MUST BE made payable to “Writers’ Police Academy” and must accompany the submission in order for your submission to be considered.

– Send all entries to:

Writers’ Police Academy

P.O. Box 60091

Savannah, Ga. 31420

att. Short Story

– There is no limit on the number of entries by any author. But each individual entry must be accompanied by its own $10 entry fee. ( One entry = $10. Four entries = $40, etc.)

– Any entry not meeting the exact 200 word requirement will be disqualified.

– By submitting an entry to this contest authors agree to allow The Graveyard Shift/Lee Lofland/the Writers’ Police Academy, and affiliates to publish the story as a part of The Graveyard Shift blog and/or as advertisement for the Writers’ Police Academy.

*All rights to all work/short story shall remain the property of the author. The Writers’ Police Academy reserves the right to exclude or delete any entry without cause, reason, or explanation.

-No refunds. Proceeds go to the Writers’ Police Academy fund to benefit the GTCC criminal justice foundation.

Photo by Sunday Kaminski

Sunday Kaminski’s mysterious work has been featured in publications such as the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.

So there you have it. Now get busy and take us on a journey down that winding road in the photo. Will anyone make it back? Who knows. That’s up to you.

Good luck!

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

The Graveyard Shift extends our condolences to the families of each of these brave officers.

Chief of Police William T. (Bill) Bauer, 36

Wyoming Illinois Police Department

August 6, 2010 – Chief Bill Bauer was killed in an automobile crash while en route to a crime commission meeting. A car pulled out in front of his police vehicle causing the fatal accident. Chief Bauer leaves behind his wife and three children, a sister, his father, and grandparents.

Officer Glen Agee, 31

Jackson Mississippi Police Department

August 6, 2010 – Officer Glen Agee and another officer were transporting a handcuffed prisoner in their patrol car. While stopped at a red light the suspect escaped through a partially lowered rear window. The officers immediately pursued the suspect into a wooded area.

Soon after the escape searchers found Officer Agee’s body lying in the woods. He’d been shot twice in the face.

Officers stand watch over Officer Agee’s body.

Latwan Smith is accused of murdering Officer Glen Agee.

Deputy Sheriff Christopher Dewey, 26

Mahnomen County Minnesota Sheriff’s Office

August 9, 2010 – Deputy Sheriff Christopher Dewey responded to a fight between two male suspects. During a scuffle with the two men he was shot once in the head and once in the abdomen. The shooting occurred in February 2008. Deputy Dewey succumbed to his injuries eighteen months later. The shooter has since been charged with murder.

Deputy Dewey is survived by his wife Emily.

8-9-10 photo – KFGO

Officer Jeremy J. Hubbard, 34

Cowden Illinois Police Department

August 10, 2010 – Officer Jeremy Hubbard was killed in an automobile crash while in pursuit of a driver who failed to pay for gas from a service station. Officer Hubbard lost control of his patrol car and was ejected. He died at the scene.

A passenger in the patrol car, 22-year-old Jessica Stukemeyer, a police officer trainee, was seriously injured in the crash but survived.

Police are searching for this red truck. The driver is wanted in connection of the crash that killed Officer Hubbard.

Officer Hubbard is survived by his wife, two young sons (8 and 13), sister, mother, and grandmother.

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Writers’ Police Academy Short Story Contest Officially Open!

Writers' Police Academy Short Story Contest Officially Open!

The Writers’ Police Academy is pleased to announce the opening of the Golden Donut short story contest. The rules are simple. Write a story about the photograph above using exactly 200 words, including the title (each story must include an original title). All stories must be polished and complete, meaning they must have a beginning, middle, and a twisted ending that would make our keynote speaker proud. Again, all stories must be exactly 200 words. Not 201 or 199!

The contest winner will receive the prestigious Golden Donut Award (sponsored by the High Point North Carolina Public Library). All entries will be screened by a panel of authors who will select their ten favorite stories and then forward their picks to our mystery judge (identity will be revealed at the academy banquet). The masked decider will present the winning story title to the appropriate Writers’ Police Academy staff member. The winner’s name will be announced at the WPA banquet. The contest is open to everyone, not just attendees of the academy, and the winner need not be present to win.

Submission Guidelines:

Submission Deadline: September 10, 2010

– Any entry not meeting the exact 200 word requirement will be disqualified.

– Hyphenated words, for the purpose of this contest, will be counted as two words.

– Be sure to include your name, address, email address, telephone number(s), and title of your story on a cover letter that’s separate from your story page. DO NOT include your name anywhere on the story page or it will not be read by the judges.

There is a $10 entry fee. Checks or money orders MUST BE made payable to “Writers’ Police Academy” and must accompany the submission in order for your submission to be considered.

– Send all entries to:

Writers’ Police Academy

P.O. Box 60091

Savannah, Ga. 31420

att. Short Story

– There is no limit on the number of entries by any author. But each individual entry must be accompanied by its own $10 entry fee. ( One entry = $10. Four entries = $40, etc.)

– Any entry not meeting the exact 200 word requirement will be disqualified.

– By submitting an entry to this contest authors agree to allow The Graveyard Shift/Lee Lofland/the Writers’ Police Academy, and affiliates to publish the story as a part of The Graveyard Shift blog and/or as advertisement for the Writers’ Police Academy.

*All rights to all work/short story shall remain the property of the author. The Writers’ Police Academy reserves the right to exclude or delete any entry without cause, reason, or explanation.

-No refunds. Proceeds go to the Writers’ Police Academy fund to benefit the GTCC criminal justice foundation.

Photo by Sunday Kaminski

Sunday Kaminski’s mysterious work has been featured in publications such as the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.

So there you have it. Now get busy and take us on a journey down that winding road in the photo. Will anyone make it back? Who knows. That’s up to you.

Good luck!


*It may take a few hours before these details and guidelines show up on the WPA website, but we’re working on it and hope to have it there by the end of the day.

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Hide-and-Seek With Blue Lights

The question of where to conceal emergency lights on unmarked police cars was the topic of discussion on a popular writer’s discussion group this week. So, I thought it might be helpful to show some of the lights used in those situations. Thanks to Wally and crew over at crimescenewriter for the idea.

Visor lights are often used by detectives in their unmarked cars. These lights can be either built into the actual visor, or as an attachment as shown in the photos above and below.


Fog lights, such as the ones pictured above, appear white or clear when not activated. However, when the switch is flipped they display their true purpose. Red and/or blue lights are easily concealed in side mirrors as well. When not in use they appear as normal turn signal lenses.

Deck and grille lights come in many shapes, sizes, and configurations. You often see these mounted to the deck inside the rear window.

Dual windshield LED light plugs into a cigarette lighter and come with a shroud for the times when the light is not in use.

Yep, the old standby beacon is still out there!

And I thought the few blue lights I had hidden in my car were distracting…

*     *     *

Notice!

Details for the Writers’ Police Academy short story contest will be posted on this site tomorrow, 8-12-10.

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Chip and Dip DNA Testing: It’s Fast!

It’s frustrating to spend hours, maybe days, working a criminal case only to see your suspect walk out of jail moments after booking is complete. A quick phone call to a bondsman and off they go. Now, if officers had rock-solid evidence, such as DNA, judges wouldn’t be so quick to release offenders back to the streets where they may commit another crime before their court date.

Thanks to Andrew Hopwood at the Forensic Science Service and Frederic Zenhausern from the Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine in Arizona, the days of pre-trial revolving door justice may soon be a thing of the past.

These two scientists have developed an impressive device that allows technicians to simply obtain a cheek swab (DNA sample), test it, and presto…four hour DNA results!

The test is actually fairly simple. As stated, technicians swab the inside of the suspect’s cheek, mix the sample with a solution, and and then place it on a special platform (a chip) inside the machine. The platform (microfluidic platform) extracts the DNA, amplifies it (makes exact copies), and then, through laser electrophoresis (remember, the old method used gels and later a genetic analyzer—still electrophoresis, only slower) the DNA can be compared to a victim, suspect, or other evidence.

And all this is completed in just four short hours! Older methods of DNA testing sometimes required a period of approximately 24 hours simply to extract DNA from the evidence. This method required the sample to soak in an enzyme at least overnight before scientists could begin the actual testing.

Hopwood and Zenhausern are now hoping to reduce turnaround time of their already lightening-fast chip (the platform) and dip (the swabbing) system to a mere two hours!

If only they could do something about the laboratory backlogs…

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Taser Tales: Autistic Teen Tasered – Chief and Several Officers Out!

Taser Tales: Autistic Teen Tasered - Chief and Several Officers Out!

Tybee Island, Georgia is a sleepy, laid-back beach town a few minutes down Highway 80 just outside Savannah. The area is beautiful, with sparkling white sand beaches and blue ocean views as far as the eye can see.

The locals love their island, and they should. It’s truly a slice of heaven on earth.

Tybee is home to less than 4,000 year-round residents, with 10,000 tourists descending like hordes of swarming insects to the beachfront hotels and rental cottages during the holidays.

Fun is what a beach town is all about, and Tybee Island is no different than any other seaside tourist destination. The islanders enjoy events such as the annual Pirate Festival and the somewhat rowdy Beach Bum Parade. And the latter is where this Taser Tale began.

It was the afternoon of May 21, shortly after the parade, when 18-year-old Clifford Grevemberg and his older brother, Dario Mariani, walked to the Rock House, a local restaurant. The elder brother went inside while Clifford remained outside. He sat down on the concrete curbing and rested his head in his arms and waited for his brother to return.

Clifford is a person with special needs. He’s autistic, and he suffers from a heart condition.

What happened next resulted in the suspension of Tybee’s police chief, the resignations of two patrol officers (after they’d been suspended), the suspension of a police corporal, and the resignation of a detention officer. All after a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) probe into the incident.

Grevemberg says that officers approached him, claiming he was intoxicated. They then proceeded to arrest the youth for disorderly conduct. During the restraint and detention Grevemberg was Tasered, twice. He was also forced to the sidewalk which resulted in a broken front tooth and several scrapes and bruises on his face and legs. He also suffered puncture wounds and burns from the Taser probes.

The arresting officers reported that Grevemberg was combative and resisted arrest.

* Note – It’s easy to judge the actions of the officers based on reports from the victim’s viewpoint. We’ve not seen the officer’s statements, nor have we viewed the Taser videos (the devices recorded the incident at the moment of deployment), but GBI reports indicate the officers properly deployed the Tasers, which exonerates them of any wrongdoing for that particular part of the arrest. We weren’t there so there’s no way for us to form an opinion.

The other troubles that occurred…well, I believe they’re already headed toward civil action.

*     *     *

Attention: Writers’ Police Academy Breaking News!

Michael Cudlitz, star of TNT’s smash hit Southland, and of the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers, will be attending the WPA as our special guest! So please do make plans to join us and meet this superstar of the best cop drama on TV.

*     *     *

Our friend Wayne Merry of Amber Alert Systems needs our help!

A picture may be worth more than a thousand words like a saved life.

We plan on taking an aggressive marketing program to put our Amber Alert, Road and Weather Alerting patented kiosks at Rest Stop areas across the country. FACTS: Kidnappers usually take their kidnapped children on highways. They stop at rest stops. They have been seen at rest stops and actually saved at rest stops. The pictures with details are far more effective then just scrolling copy on a highway sign at 65 miles an hour.

You can vote to help us. Vote once a day…. please.

http://www.refresheverything.com/findlostchildrenfaster
Wayne M. Merry, Founder
Because We Care!
Amber Alert Systems
follow us on FACEBOOK – http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Amber-Alert-Kiosk-Systems/216932051753?ref=ts
www.amberalertsystems.com

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Weekend Road Trip: Summer Rain On Georgia’s Ogeechee River

Summer Rain On Georgia's Ogeechee River

 

Thunder rumbles in the distance. Temperatures hover just below one-hundred.

The air thickens with humidity, insects, and the scent of mud, marsh, dead fish, and rotting vegetation.

Rain is on the way. A heavy rain.

A pre-storm breeze sends tiny ripples across a surface that moments ago was as slick and smooth as a sheet of new storefront glass.

Time to head home.

A turn into a canal reveals hiding places for the creepy, the crawly, and the slimy. Large S-shaped trails move slowly across the surface, then disappear. Alligators? Could be. They’re here.

The sky opens up, drilling the soil and fauna with sheets of shot-size drops of water.

But day after day of searing heat hasn’t allowed the rain to cool. The shower, warm like five-minute-old coffee, hit the sweltering earth leaving behind a natural sauna.

Then, as quickly as it arrived, the storm passes. The creatures of the dark waters return to make their primitive night sounds. Mosquitoes as big as bottle flies swarm in swirling clouds.

Something backs into the dark recesses of the banks.

It’s night again on the Ogeekee River. An armadillo ambles past the dock dragging its snake-like tail in the damp sand. It stops, looks around, and then disappears into a patch of poison oak. The dark green leaves sway from side-to-side in the animal’s wobbly wake.

The day is done and the rains have returned. Still steady, but much slower. This time, gently dimpling the water’s midnight-darkened surface. Drizzle tapping on the tin roof like the worried mother’s fingernails drumming on the coffee table when her child hasn’t come home on time.

Tap, tap, tapping into the night.

Irregular.

Out of synch with the steadiness of the wall clock.

Tap, tap, tapping.

It’s raining on the Ogeechee.

*     *     *

Attention: Writers’ Police Academy Breaking News!

Michael Cudlitz, star of TNT’s smash hit Southland, and of the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers, will be attending the WPA as our special guest! So please do make plans to join us and meet this superstar of the best cop drama on TV.



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