A Suicide Attempt Gone Wrong … Very Wrong

Front door,

Hanging askew.

One rusted hinge.

Wedge of sunlight,

Smeared across plank flooring.

Beretta in hand.

Push door with flashlight.

Won’t budge.

“I heard a shot but I was too scared to look. Is he in there?”

“Stay back, please.”

Standing to side of doorway.

Breathing heavy.

“Frank?”

Silence.

Sweat trickles from lower back into waistband.

Heart pounding.

“Frank. I’m here to help. You okay?”

Nothing.

Flies buzzing,

Darting in and out.

Deep breath.

Quick peek.

Maglight low.

Minimum target.

Blood spatter.

Lots of it.

Tissue on ceiling.

Sitting on floor.

Shotgun in lap, upright.

“Frank, you okay?”

Useless words.

“Is Daddy all right?”

“Go back in the house. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Hand over mouth, sobbing. “Okay.”

Squeeze through door.

Flashlight aimed toward ceiling,

Casts dim light throughout.

Holster weapon.

Not needed.

Friends since high school.

Twenty years, or more.

No face.

“Why, Frank? Great kids. Great wife. Nice house. Good job. Wonderful life.”

Deafening silence.

Radio crackles.

“Send M.E. and paramedics. No particular order.”

Doesn’t matter.

Chest moves.

A wet breath, from somewhere.

Finger twitches slightly.

“Frank?”

Another jerky, unbelievable breath.

“Hold on Frank. Help’s on the way!”

Frantically grab radio.

“Tell paramedics to hurry. Victim is alive. Repeat. Victim is alive.”

Sit in floor,

Holding Frank’s hand.

Sirens getting closer.

“Hey Frank. Remember when we …”

 

/by

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen

Officer Rogelio Santander, 27

Dallas Texas Police Department

April 25, 2018 – Officer Rogelio Santander succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous day. As he and another officer attempted to handcuff a shoplifting suspect, the man produced a handgun and began firing. In addition to fatally wounding Officer Santtander, the shots also wounded the other Dallas officer and a loss prevention officer. Officer Santander passed away the next day.

Corporal Eugene Cole, 61

Somerset County Maine Sheriff’s Office

April 25, 2018 – Corporal Eugene Cole was shot and killed by a man who was out on bond for a previous weapons offense. After killing Deputy Cole, the suspect stole his police vehicle and then robbed a store. He later abandoned the patrol car and remains at large.

Corporal Cole is survived by his son, who also serves with the sheriff’s office.

Detective Sergeant Brian Cuscino, 44

New Castle Pennsylvania Police Department

April 19, 2018 – Detective Sergeant Brian Cuscino suffered a fatal heart attack while participating in the department’s mandatory physical fitness program. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

 

 

Officer Tamby Yagan, 41

Paterson New Jersey Police Department

April 22, 2018 – Officer Tamby Yagan was killed when his patrol car collided with another vehicle. He is survived by his son.

 

 

 

Deputy Sheriff Casey Shoemate, 26

Miller County Missouri Sheriff’s Office

April 20, 2018 – Deputy Casey Shoemate was killed in a head-on vehicle crash while responding to a structure fire. He is survived by his two children, fiancee, parents, and several siblings.

/by

I Only Killed Him Once, But I’ve Died Many Times Since That Day

He’s here,

Again.

Scratching.

Clawing.

Digging,

At the inside of my skull.

Eyes wide open, now.

Leave me alone,

Please!

Fingernails raking against bone,

And thoughts and emotions.

Chipping away,

Until they’re no more.

My memories, feelings,

And the ability to care.

All gone.

Dark.

Moon.

A sliver of creamy light,

Smeared across a plank floor.

Clock tick-tocking, incessantly.

Tick, tick, tick.

Night sounds.

Refrigerator whirs.

Air conditioner hums.

Tick, tick, tick.

Owl hoots.

Cricket chirps.

Tick, tick, tick.

Then quiet.

Deafening and relentless,

Horrifying silence.

So still.

Dead air.

A scream!

From inside?

Him, or me?

He’s there.

In front of me.

Behind me.

Over there.

No, over there.

Laughing.

That maniacal laughter.

Bullets.

Blood.

Bullets.

Twitching.

Quivering.

Like a dying animal.

Flowers.

Roses.

Prayers.

Damp soil,

Freshly turned.

Tears.

Sadness.

It’s okay,

You did your job.

Easy for them to say.

He shot first,

They add.

Seriously, it’s okay.

But it’s not.

Never is.

Anxiety.

Fear.

Depression.

Insomnia.

Can’t sleep.

He’s here.

Again.

Why every night?

I only killed him once,

But I die every single day.

So no, it’s not okay.

Seriously, it’s not …

It’s not okay, and it won’t be until there’s a means to release the demon.

*     *     *

* If you are in a crisis please seek help. You cannot do this alone. Call 911, go to your nearest emergency room, talk to your doctor, or call 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK).

/by

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen

Deputy Sheriff Taylor Lindsey, 25

Gilchrist County Florida Sheriff’s Office

April 19, 2018 – Deputy Sheriff Taylor Lindsey and Sergeant Noel Ramirez were shot and killed from ambush as they took their lunch break in a local restaurant.

 

 

 

Sergeant Noel Ramirez, 29

Gilchrist County Florida Sheriff’s Office

April 19, 2018 – Sergeant Noel Ramirez and Deputy Sheriff Taylor Lindsey were shot and killed from ambush as they took their lunch break in a local restaurant.

He is survived by his wife and two children.

/by

A Bear, a Rabbit, and a Bird Visit the Writers’ Police Academy. Isn’t it Time You Did the Same?

Are you having a bit of trouble with those pesky scenes that involve cops and their wacky shenanigans?

What’s that you say? One of the folks in your writers’ group said he could help because he was once friends with a guy who once dated a girl whose brother worked with a man whose wife went to school with a guy whose son married a woman whose father was a mechanic who worked on police cars and he said he heard cops talking all the time about crooks and raids and guns and stuff.

Don’t Listen to the Mechanic!

Well, that sort of advice may not be the most accurate in the world. Therefore, I suggest—

Ah, you want to experience shooting and driving and dusting for prints and all things associated with police work. I wholeheartedly understand and I have something that will definitely help you take your writing to levels you never imagined. So forget about the auto mechanic someone almost knew a long time ago and take a peek at this video. You’ll be glad you did (try watching in full screen mode with the volume switched on).
 


 

www.writerspoliceacademy.com
 
#2018WPA

/by

Can’t Find a Fingerprint? Well, Here’s Why …

Sometimes, no matter how experienced and how hard investigators try, they’re simply unable to find a fingerprint.

They dust and they dust and they twirl and whirl and spin animal hair brushes and brushes made from stork feathers, and nylon. They use dark powers, white powders, powders of all colors of the rainbow and more. Iodine and SuperGlue. But NOTHING works!

It could be that the crook wore gloves. Or, it could be …

/by

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen

Officer Sean Gannon, 32

Yarmouth Massachusetts Police Department

April 12, 2018 – Officer Sean Gannon was shot and killed while he and his K-9 assisted with the search of a residence for a wanted man.

Officer Gannon located the suspect in a closet at which time the man opened fire fatally wounding Officer Gannon and wounding Nero, the police K-9.

 

Patrolman Kevin Crossley, 34

Whitesboro New York Police Department

April 11, 2018 – Patrolman Kevin Crossley was killed in a vehicle crash when a car traveling in the opposite direction made a sudden left turn in front of his patrol car, causing the crash.

Patrolman Crossley is survived by his parents and brother.

 

 

Officer Keith Earle, 46

Huntsville Alabama Police Department

April 9, 2018 – Officer Keith Earle succumbed to injuries sustained in a vehicle crash on March 26th. He’d remained in the hospital until passing away.

 

 

 

/by

Stephon Clark: Did Police Fire Too Many Rounds?

Stephon Clark, 22, was fatally shot by two Sacramento, Ca. police officers.

The officers fired twenty rounds during the incident. Of the twenty rounds, eight struck Clark—three in the lower back, twice near his right shoulder, once in his neck, once under an armpit, and one round in a leg. The round to the neck came from the side, while the shot to the leg hit Clark in the front. The doctor who performed the autopsy (an independent autopsy requested by the family) stated the leg wound appeared to have been fired after Clark was already falling to the ground.

Clark was unarmed. A cell phone, the object officers thought was a gun, was found next to his body.

The story – Police received a 911 call about a man breaking car and house windows while trespassing through backyards and climbing over fences to go from yard to yard.

Two patrol officers responded. A police helicopter also arrived on-scene and hovered above the area, filming the activity below. Their video shows a man moving through backyards, peering into the window of a vehicle, and then climbing a fence. Next we see the officers running toward the man.

Police body cam footage shows the officers, from their POV, running after the man. They’re using flashlights. It is difficult to see anything other than what the narrow beams of light illuminate. They see the man in the corner of a backyard and one officers calls for him to show his hands and, in practically the same breath, he yells, “Gun, gun, gun!

The next thing we see is gunfire. One round after another after another. Clark was pronounced dead at the scene.

Protesters, activists, and Clark’s family (and attorney) have all said the police, in addition to shooting an unarmed man, fired too many rounds.

First let’s address the unarmed part of this unfortunate incident. To do so, I ask that you click over to read what I had to say about the topic in an earlier post titled DEADLY FORCE: YES, AN UNARMED TEEN COULD KILL YOU.

Next, “too many rounds.”

Do Officers Count The Numbers of Rounds They Fire?

Police are taught to shoot to stop a threat. Then, when the threat ceases to exist the use of deadly force must stop. This could mean one round or one hundred. Whatever it takes. But, in the heat of the moment when you feel that your life is in danger, that you could DIE at any second, a person typically doesn’t have the time or presence of mind to count the number of times they’ve pulled the trigger. Believe me, to be involved in a shooting is a scary situation.

In fact, even when a shooting is staged for training purposes and you’re firing lasers at a pretend target, well, see for yourself in the video below. This is why officers often tend to fire a lot of rounds and not have a clue as to the number they fired.

This recording from the Writers’ Police Academy is an eye-opener. The videos that follow are the officer’s body cam video during the shooting of Stephon Clark (warning, the video shows the shooting and the body afterward), and the footage from the helicopter.

When you’ve watched all videos, please take a moment to reflect and to place yourself in the shoes of officers everywhere who have to make these decisions within the blink of an eye. Then imagine what it’s like to live with taking the life of another human. It ain’t pretty.

From the Writers’ Police Academy – More than she thought?

 

 
Sacramento officer’s body cam …

 
Helicopter footage …

/by

Voice Stress Analysis: Ain’t That What You Said, Liar?

In 1957, University College London researcher Olof Lippold discovered that all muscles in the human body, including the vocal chords, vibrate within the frequency range of 8-12 Hz range. This vibration, of course, occurs as muscles tighten and relax.

Lippold charted these vibrations by using electrodes applied to the extensor muscle of the middle finger. Electrical activity generated by muscles was then recorded on an Electromyograph (EMG), a medical technology designed for evaluating and noting this type of activity.

Several years later, in 1972, three retired U.S. military officers—Allan D. Bell Jr., Wilson H. Ford, and Charles R. McQuiston—formed the company Dektor Counterintelligence and Security, Inc.

Shortly after, the men filed a patent for an invention—the Psychological Stress Evaluator (PSE)— that could analyze voice recordings. It was the world’s first Voice Stress Analyzer and it was based Lippold’s work. It was the ultimate in lie-detecting technology.

Cherry Tree Mystery Solved – George Washington Confesses!

Today, Computer Voice Stress Analyzer (CVSA) technology is capable of detecting even inaudible voice stress in subjects/suspects who are undergoing questioning by police investigators.

He Didn’t Do It … Yeah, Right!

CVSA technology focuses on the inaudible and stress-induced aspects of the voice—muscle micro-tremors.

Many investigators and department officials find that voice stress analysis is more reliable than polygraph examinations, and the voice stress system is less expensive and requires far less training time.

 

 

How Does it Work?

To see how this process works, please click to watch the video below. Then see how quickly the hero of your story extracts a confession from the bad guy.

And the cop to the crook …

“Ain’t that what you said?

Liar
Liar, liar”

/by

FREEZE! I’m the Police, Animal Control, Garbage Collector, and … Meter Reader?

Police officers in large cities become highly specialized in their areas of expertise. Patrol officers there are often assigned to section of the city, a precinct, and they know that area like the back of their hand.  They’re on a first name basis with every drug dealer, hooker, and numbers runner. Detectives in those areas are normally assigned to a particular duty, such as homicide investigations, narcotics cases, and cyber crimes. There are full-time units in place to handle CSI, cold cases, SWAT, canines, bicycle patrol, and community policing, to name just a few.

However, in less-populated jurisdictions—mid-size to small—where manpower and funding are precious commodities, officers sometimes have to serve double, or even triple duty. They wear many hats.

Patrol officers everywhere are the front line defense against crime. They’re the men and women who answer the never-ending stream of calls, ranging from homicides to people who think aliens have just landed in their back yard.

In small agencies, though, a patrol officer may also be a member of the SWAT team. That officer would probably keep his/her SWAT gear in the trunk of their patrol car, ready to suit-up in a flash. They may also serve as a member of the high-risk entry team, or as a bike patrol officer, swapping a cruiser for a bicycle to finish out the remainder of their shift.

Some detectives also serve as members of scuba dive teams. Many do their own evidence collection and crime scene photography. There are no CSI units in many, many departments across the country. In fact, many departments don’t have detectives. Patrol officers in those departments investigate criminal cases from beginning to end. Needless to say, this stretches manpower to the breaking point.

In even smaller police departments, where there are three or four officers (maybe the chief is the only officer) duties may branch out further still. For example, a tiny town of a few hundred citizens may expect their officer(s) to read the town water meters as part of their regular patrol. Yes, I do know of a town where this system was and may still be in place.

Another town police chief has an office inside a country store. His “office” is actually nothing more than a metal desk positioned in the corner near the lottery ticket machine, and the town’s highest ranking law enforcement officer only has access to his work space during the store’s normal business hours. He is also required to handle the town’s animal control duties. Once each week, this town’s top and only cop swaps his patrol car for a pickup truck and utility trailer so that he can collect the garbage set out on the curbs by the town’s residents.

So if you’re ever worried that your story seems a little off where police procedures are concerned, well, fear not because the truth about law enforcement is much more farfetched. In fact, the only thing consistent about police work is its inconsistencies.

To Preserve and Collect

To Protect and Collect

/by