You gave your all to protect and serve us, and for that we are eternally grateful.
Deputy Sheriff Rob Evans, 50
Kershaw County South Carolina Sheriff’s Office
November 27, 2013 – Deputy Rob Evans was directing traffic at a local elementary school Tuesday afternoon when he suffered a heart attack and collapsed. He was transported to the hospital where he passed away the next day.
As a school resource officer, Deputy Evans was active in the schools where, in addition to his duties and responsibilities as a law enforcement officer, he developed an anti-bullying and student kindness program, served as assistant basketball coach, and as the announcer for local football games. He loved the kids of his community and they loved and respected them.
Deputy Evans is survived by his wife and two children.
RHD=Ruggedly Handsome Dad (or Really Hot Detective, in Beckett’s case). Either way, this episode may have been a test of the waters to see if viewers would welcome the pitter-patter of tiny Castle feet. Actually, I’d be willing to bet that Good Cop Melanie has already begun knitting a pair of booties with “WRITER” embroidered across the toe areas. Lets see if she’s come back down to earth after witnessing all the mushy, lovey-dovey stuff we saw on the show last night.
Pocahontas, really? That scene, along with many others in this episode of Castle, had me in stitches. I was a bit confused by the case at first, but in the end it came together, too, even though I found it extremely odd. I loved the scenes with Kate, Rick, and Cosmo/Benny (the baby) best, of course. Seeing the two of them with a child was a sneak peek into their future, or so they led us to believe. That alone made me smile.
Kate’s reluctance to hold the baby at first didn’t surprise me, however. Took her a long time to warm up to Rick, and up until recently she’s kept her distance from his family, too. She’s the kind of person who needs time to get used to new people and situations before diving in, and keeping the baby was no exception. I understand where she’s coming from. She was an only child, so she’s never been around babies. They scare her. At least, they did, until she and Rick kept Cosmo.
Their exhaustion the morning after keeping the little guy was so typical, and very funny. Alexis’ line: “How long have I been gone?” when she came to the loft and found Martha feeding the baby and Kate and Rick passed out was priceless. I loved the way they staggered from the elevator later, even though each of them held a huge cup of coffee. So funny.
Poor Ryan never did get the hang of holding the little boy. The kid’s crying made him nervous, and he kept jostling Cosmo around. Only time and experience will help him once his own baby is born. I loved Esposito’s pep talk. He doesn’t have kids and refused to hold the baby, but he was right on target when he told Kevin he’d do just fine.
The scene with Rick and Kate in the dumpster being honest with one another was the best by far, IMHO. I loved that Rick admitted having an ulterior motive for bringing the baby home. Yes, he likes kids, but he also was testing Kate after she told him she “didn’t do babies”. Going it alone with Alexis after Meredith exited stage left was tough, and he doesn’t want to go that route again. He wanted to make sure Kate would be there for their child, and she assured him she would.
I love that they’re talking about having kids, and that the family is getting along so well. Alexis and Rick have made up, and even Pi and Kate’s dad were contributing to Thanksgiving dinner. I’m thankful, of course, that we didn’t have to actually see Pi, but I would have loved a longer family scene at the end — even with Kate dressed like Pocahontas. What a mean trick! She turned the tables on Rick, though, by making him put on the pilgrim outfit, and I loved it. She knows him well, doesn’t she?
All in all, even with the weird case and the Pocahontas get up, I loved this episode. Kate and Rick keeping a baby, talk about having babies of their own in a year or two, and lots of wonderful family moments. Doesn’t get any better than that.
We won’t have a new Castle episode to blog about until January 6th because we have one less week between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. I hope all of you have a fabulous holiday season. See you next year!
Well, since the case was a bit odd with a totally predictable conclusion, I’m going to skip most of it and only point out the things that might be of interest to writers, and to those of you who might be a tad curious about police procedure.
– Matching the howling wolf tattoo with a tattoo on file in the prison system… Yes, prisons do maintain image files of inmate tattoos. However, I don’t believe a nationwide database of tattoos is in place at this time. The federal government, however, plans to have a tattoo database in operation sometime in 2014. Its purpose is to identify gang affiliations, and for other investigative purposes. The images are gathered at the time of arrest and from inmates already in custody.
– Lanie somehow and magically determined that “due to the severity of the victim’s wounds” he could have survived after receiving the gunshot wounds only for the time it took him to drive twenty blocks. So that’s an official Lanie indicator of time of death? I can see it now. Coroner at scene – “Given the severity of the wounds…well, I’d say that’s a 40-blocker. Fifty, tops.”
– Esposito again used the current acronym BOLO (Be On The Lookout) instead of the antique APB (All Point Bulletin). They’ve finally moved into the current era, and that’s a good thing.
– Use of GPS to track location and movement of cabs, limos, service vehicles (plumbers, electricians, etc.) and police vehicles is commonplace.
– Beckett and crew discover a bloodstain pattern on a wall. The team had it tested and determined the blood belonged to someone related to the baby. But we never saw or heard that anyone obtained a sample from Cosmo. I guess we were supposed to assume they did. And that’s how it would be determined in real life—testing both to determine if there was indeed a match.
– Dumpster-diving for evidence. Dumpsters, especially those near a crime scene, are prime places to search since fleeing bad guys often toss evidence inside. Sometimes cops get really lucky and find the bad guy(s) themselves hiding out among spoiled cabbage, old newspapers, and dirty diapers.
– Ping pong balls. I’m mentioning them only to point out that in days long ago, ping pong tables were available in some prisons as part of inmate recreation. Prisoners in those institutions were allowed to purchase their own ping pong balls from the commissary. Those inmates were also permitted to buy small cans of lighter fluid for their Zippo lighters (who out there doesn’t see the formula for something bad). Anyway, prisoners often used the two as an effective weapon, and they did so by punching a small hole in a ball and filling it with lighter fluid. Then they set it on fire and immediately rolled the flaming orb under an enemy’s bed where it hit wall and set the bedding on fire. Needless to say, it only took proactive prison officials a couple of years to decide selling lighter fluid to inmates was not a particularly good idea, especially since many were convicted arsonists. Duh.
– The final confrontation with the “oh-so-predictable” bad guys was typical TV, especially typical for Castle. During the scene we heard several pistol slides “racking.” Of course, you all know that police officers in the U.S. carry a round in the chamber. Therefore, racking the slide (something TV people think sounds cool, I guess) would only serve to eject the loaded round, leaving the officer with one less bullet. A live round that would then bounce around on the pavement, or into tall grass where it could later be found by a curious squirrel.
I guess then the only defense against an armed squirrel would be more squirrels with bullets…
Well, that wraps up our 2013 reviews, and as Melanie said, we wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. If you’re traveling to Grandma’s house this week, please be careful.
You gave your all to protect and serve us, and for that we are eternally grateful.
Trooper Ross M. Riley, 44
New York State Police
November 20, 2013 – Trooper Ross M. Riley was killed while participating in a rescue training exercise where he and other troopers rappelled off a cliff to a ledge below. While performing the mock rescue Trooper Riley fell from the ledge into a creek below. He died as a result of head injuries received subsequent to the fall.
Trooper Riley is survived by his wife and three daughters.
Imagine that when getting dressed before venturing out each morning, in addition to your regular attire, you must strap two vintage Royal typewriters to your belt. And, prior to slipping on your favorite shirt, your job demands that you Velcro two slabs of dense clay to your torso—one to the front and one to the back. And for good measure, whack off an 18″ portion of your best broom handle and hang it, too, from your belt. Heck, you’ve gone this far, what’s the harm in using a few twist ties to secure a big ‘ol clunky flashlight to a spot beside the broom handle. Well, that’s sort of what it’s like for police officers when they’re dressing for work.
I know, there’s more attached to the duty belt than a sawed-off broom handle and the spouses favorite flashlight. So let’s take a closer peek at all of “that stuff.”
The number of items on an officer’s duty belt depends upon the department’s requirements and/or the officer’s preferences as to what he/she carries in addition to the agency’s minimum standard. Some departments may not allow their officers to carry items that others permit.
Weapon choice is entirely up to individual agencies. Some departments also allow officers to purchase and carry the weapon of their choice.
However, officers must shoot a qualifying score at the range with any and all weapons carried.
It’s standard practice for officers to carry two spare magazines in addition to the one in the weapon.
Most magazine are fitted with small windows (holes) and corresponding numbers to indicate a count of rounds inside.
There are two basic handcuff designs.
Chain-link (top) and hinged (bottom). Chain-link cuffs are easier to apply during a scuffle because the chain allows a bit of flexibility. Hinged cuffs are rigid and do not allow a bad guy to twist and turn his hands. Hinged cuffs are commonly used when transporting prisoners.
Handcuffs are generally worn to the rear, at the center of the back, allows easy reach with either hand.
Several types of handcuff keys are available. The key at the bottom of the image above is the standard key and comes with each new pair of cuffs. The others are available for purchase and are often carried by officers because of the larger and more user-friendly design. Officers sometimes carry an extra key hidden somewhere on the belt or in their clothing.
Officer who carry revolvers (there aren’t many left who carry the “wheel guns”) generally carry a couple of speed loaders. The devices allow officers to reload six rounds at once, instead of having to load one bullet at a time.
The rounds are inserted into each chamber, and then a twist of the knurled knob releases all six rounds at once.
Portable radios are often fitted with a shoulder mic. In addition to the microphone, a small, built-in speaker allows the officer to monitor radio transmissions without having the volume turned up so loudly that everyone in a ten block radius can hear.
Pepper spray is, well, pepper spray. I think you all know its purpose.
Side-handle batons are extremely effective tools. Their use requires special training. The baton pictured above has an expandable tip that extends the length by a few inches, which increases the reach and the level of delivered force.
Many officers carry expandable batons. They’re far less cumbersome and more versatile than the “nightstick-type” baton.
When fully extended, an expandable baton can be used as both a striking and as a defensive tool. When collapsed, an expandable baton is still functional as an effective weapon. However, I won’t reveal those techniques (tricks of the trade, you know).
And, of course, we mustn’t forget the electroshock weapons. Taser (a brand sold by Taser International), for example, is designed for use on non-compliant subjects.
The use of Taser-type weapons has definitely decreased the number of officer injuries. In the old days, we had to physically restrain violent suspects using brute strength, pain compliance techniques, a baton (if we thought about bringing one), and a lot of luck…a whole lot of luck, actually. Having luck on our side was especially fortuitous when working an entire county alone, at night, when all the “full-mooners” were out and about and ready to fight anything and anyone wearing a badge and uniform. Believe me, there’s nothing like arresting a bad guy who outweighs you by 150 lbs., has fists the size and power of portable jackhammers, and a pain threshold of, well, I don’t believe those little darlings know the meaning of pain.
Tasers are generally worn on the officer’s “non-gun” side to avoid the deadly faux pas of grabbing a lethal weapon (firearm) when the situation calls for a non-lethal weapon, and, of course, the same is true in reverse.
I’ve gone home on many occasion with my badge ripped from shirt, my pants torn and muddy and decorated with lovely smears and colors of various grasses and soil. I’ve received bumps, bruises, loss of vision, unconsciousness, knife wounds, etc. But all of my injuries and numerous uniform cleanings and/or replacements could have been avoided had Tasers been available. The same is true for those unruly folks who used us for Saturday night punching bags. A brief shock would more than likely have been preferable to the injuries received from a cop who’s literally fighting for his life. In those instances it’s “anything goes,” to survive.
Anyway, that’s the quick view of Taser use.
So, all total, a complete duty belt tips the scales at 15 or 16 pounds, or thereabouts.
Oh, one last thing. Gravity has a tendency to pull all that weight toward the ground. Therefore, police officers use belt keepers, more commonly called “keepers,” to attach the duty belt snuggly against the belt that’s worn to hold up their uniform pants.
Keepers are thin straps of leather (for use in conjunction with leather duty belts) or nylon (for use with lighter weight nylon duty belts), that loop around both belts. Metal snaps/fasteners secure the two ends of each keeper, holding the two belts together (the top photo in this post clearly shows two keepers at the center of the belt, between two handcuff cases).
You know, it would only take one time of forgetting to wear belt keepers for an officer to learn a hard and valuable lesson. Because, without belt keepers, an officer’s gunbelt would likely fall to his/her ankles, especially during a foot pursuit. Of course, all that gear and leather wrapped around the lower legs would immediately cause the officer to face plant onto the concrete, or into a nice bed of petunias the bad guy easily cleared with a hop, skip, a jump, and an “I’ll see you later,” as he ran away laughing.
Embarrassing to say the least.
Finally, the ballistic vest. It’s basically a four-piece ensemble—front and rear cloth carriers, front and rear Kevlar panels, and a trauma plate (steel or ceramic).
Pictured above are a ballistic vest. The outer coverings you see are the blue cloth carriers w/Velcro straps. Ballistic panels (dense heavy material) are inserted into each carrier and are normally sealed in place by zippers or Velcro. The carriers are machine washable. Bullet-resistant material may only be cleaned with a damp cloth (more on the care of a vest below).
Above is a ballistic panel. The rectangle in the center of the panel is a pocket for the trauma plate.
Like the determined and hopeful writer who, even after after a gagillion rejection letters, pens yet another query—3XK is back. Fortunately, the entire crew—Beckett, Castle, Ryan, Esposito, and Lanie were all on hand to handle this week’s case. There were no goofy characters to take us out of the story. The writers seemed to have gotten their heads out of their collective…well, let’s just say the writing was bit better this week.
I know I’m in the minority this week, but I didn’t particularly care for the story, but that’s because I’ve never cared for the whole 3XK larger-than-life thread that pops up from time to time. Still, the show was back on track this week and that’s a good thing. And I believe it would be a safe bet to say that Melanie loved this one. Let’s see…
A few articles about this episode before it aired referred to it as the “double doppelganger” episode, and now we know why. Some jerk, possibly Rick and Kate’s old nemesis 3XK, murdered two people who’d had plastic surgery to make them resemble Lanie and Esposito. Tamala Jones and Jon Huertes played both parts, and I’ve read where lying on the slabs really got to them — and that’s totally understandable. So creepy! The murderer killed them by hanging them with high test fishing line and took care to make the process as painful as possible.
Such a great show. It grabbed me right off the bat and didn’t let go. We didn’t get much at all in the relationship department, other than Kate’s belief that Jerry Tyson is dead, and Rick’s instance that the scumbag survived being shot and falling 100 feet off a bridge the last time they dealt with him, but for once I didn’t mind. I was on the edge of my seat. And as the show wore on, and especially at the end, when Rick discovered the flash drive inside the pen and played the spine-chilling song on his laptop, I believe even Kate might have changed her tune.
What do you think? Is Jerry Tyson, the infamous 3XK, still alive? Or is Kelly Nieman, the plastic surgeon, merely his disciple? She obviously trained Carl, the man charged with killing the two doppelgangers and several people in Florida, so she’s capable of great evil. She also disappeared without a trace, leaving us with a terrifying mystery. When will she or Jerry Tyson reappear? Like the song says, probably when we least expect it, on some sunny day. Ack!
What a fabulous episode. Director Rob Bowman outdid himself in this one, don’t you think? I loved every second of it, even though it didn’t contain buckets of Casketty goodness. We should get enough of that in next week’s show to make up for this one anyway, if the promo is anything to go by. Rick and Kate babysitting a baby found while they investigate a case? Haha! I can’t wait. In my opinion, this year’s episodes are better than ever. Bring on the baby!
As I said earlier, I wasn’t thrilled to see the return of 3XK. However, aside from that broken record, it was indeed nice to see the show back on track with the characters doing what they do best, solving crimes and interacting as a team. Oh, and they entertained their audience without a single appearance by either of the silly characters of weeks past.
I suspect that the person in charge of Castle bill-paying apparently forgot to send a check to the power company. Either that or they filmed this episode on the CSI set. I say this because the entire episode was filmed in near darkness. Believe me, folks, cops are allowed to turn on the lights, and they do. Sort of makes it easier to locate evidence, do paperwork, and to prevent everyone from using service dogs just to navigate throughout the precinct.
Anyway, on with the procedure (This segment, you loyal Castle fans, began as a guide for the writers who visit this site. However, everyone is welcome, and I appreciate that you, too, stop by from time to time).
– High test wire fishing line is great for use when trying to hook a fish burdened with a large overbite (or other toothy fish), but its use for hanging a human by the the neck could be exceptionally aggravating. The weight of a person who had the misfortune of being turned into an over-sized holiday tree ornament, would likely cause the wire to cut deeply into the flesh. More so than the neck wound we saw on Lanie’s dead doppelganger. I was also left to wonder exactly how the killer managed to lift the victim having only a wire to hold and use for pulling. But it’s fiction, and the scene was pretty cool. The impact of slowly discovering the victim’s feet just inches above the decking was well-done. By the way, this was the time for low-lighting. Not in the precinct.
– Unless removed, digital photos do indeed contain information such as your location when the photo was taken. This was a nice touch, and it came across much better than having the IT person activate a remote camera in some weird but convenient place, such as one embedded in a bed of Shasta daisies in the courtyard of the Killrz Stay-Free Motel and Haberdashery.
– Maybe you guys can help me to better understand something. Beckett and Castle were in the plastic surgeon’s office where it was business as usual, with patients and employees scurrying about. Yet, when Ryan called her he was at the docks and it was totally dark outside. Street lights were on and the sky was as black as squid ink. So which was it, day or night? Couldn’t be both. Unless, in her spare time, Lanie had developed a time machine using the same voodoo technology she uses to predict times of death. Yes, I’m sure that’s it. They used Lanie’s Time Machine/TOD Estimator (patent pending).
– During her questioning session with Beckett, the plastic surgeon said something to the effect of, “If you don’t charge me, I can go.” She’s right. Unless there are charges a person is free to go. In fact, unless you’re under arrest you don’t have to go to the police department.
– I just loved it when the IT person, the Merlin the Magician of the NYPD, pulled up an image of the security guard/killer (in plain clothes) and then superimposed a hat, badge, and uniform over his clothing. That was a real knee-slapper.
– Okay, I get it that 3XK is a larger than life villain. He’s evil. And he can’t be caught, like that lone fly that somehow gets inside the house and buzzes and buzzes and buzzes, but you never see it. Then one day you suddenly notice the sound isn’t there. But to have the Espo and Lanie clones, especially the Esposito look-alike, remove massive amounts of evidence and files (a truck load, at least) from locked, monitored, and supervised facilities…well, it’s about as likely as me landing a role as a stand-in for George Clooney. Yeah, that unbelievable.
Again, while the episode, to me, was a bit boring (only because I’m not fond of the whole 3XK thing), it was by far the best episode of the season.
Hey, what if, instead of police files and evidence, 3XK had kidnapped Pi and took him to Lanie’s time machine? He could’ve sent the grapefruit guru off to a place and time where he’d be forced to listen to Gilbert Gottfried do nonstop standup comedy. I think that would be a fair punishment for the torture Pi has inflicted on us this season.
I know, enough of the Pi-bashing, but he’s like a cucumber, or a radish. I have an awful feeling that he’s going to “repeat” on us.
Speaking of repeating…
background: #bd081c no-repeat scroll 3px 50% / 14px 14px; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; top: 1318px; left: 20px;”>Save
By now I guess you’ve all heard the big news that Michael Connelly is the guest of honor at the 2014 Writers’ Police Academy. Actually, I think nearly everyone in the world has heard because my inbox was crammed full this morning with excited “I absolutely love his books” chatter.
So, we have two goals. One – to match our program with the greatness that is Michael Connelly. Two – top the 2013 WPA. Well, I believe we’ve accomplished both. The 2014 program is indeed at the top of the charts.
Without giving away too many secrets, I will say that you can expect even more BANGS and BOOMS than ever before, your bad guys just may learn some cool ways to dispose of, um, “evidence…” And, somehow we’ve managed to squeeze fire, lots of dead bodies, and even an airplane into the schedule. And much, much more. Seriously, plan to be totally blown away. Hmm… blown away is probably not a good choice of words when referring to the the WPA, but you get the picture.
Of course, you know how we like to shake things up from time to time, so be prepared for “surprises” to happen at any time.
In addition to several new instructors and workshops, we’ve shaken up a few more things for next year, including a new hotel and a new group of volunteers/planning committee.
The official 2014 WPA hotel is the Greensboro-Highpoint Marriott Airport. I took the photos below last weekend. They weren’t staged, therefore, this is the actual hotel as seen when you first walk in the door.
The view from the business center is also not too shabby.
The rooms are equally as appealing.
The best thing, WPA attendees, is that there’s no change in room price (from last year), including a free hot breakfast, free internet, a very large bar area and restaurant, and a wonderful banquet experience. We enjoyed three tasty meals during our stay there last week (I recommend their crab cakes).
Our new planning committee/event volunteers got together last weekend for the first time, in person, during a breakfast meeting in Greenville, South Carolina. The meeting went extremely well and I’m anxious for you to meet everyone. So, without further adieu, here is the new WPA team
l-r Lee Lofland, Denene Lofland, Ellis Vidler, Linda Lovely, Howard Lewis (not pictured Ashantay Peters and Robin Weaver)
Remember, space is limited to the first 200 to sign up. We expect those slots to go within hours after opening registration, so have all your information handy when registering. The 2014 event is our largest and most exciting we’ve ever produced!! And Michael Connelly will be there. How cool is that!
Please be on the lookout (that’s a BOLO to you police procedural writers) for registration details, and please do check the WPA website for updates and news.
Police Procedure and Investigation: A Guide for Writers
