A Cop’s Day – It’s Not All Car Chases and Shootouts

Cops are people too

 

Police officers have a dangerous job, no doubt about it. They drive fast, dodge bullets, wrestle bad guys, and take knives away from rowdy drunks. But, if you take the time to look closely you’ll see that they’re just people, like you and me. They just happen to wear a uniform and carry a gun.

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Officers must lock their weapons inside a lockbox before entering the booking area.

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25 replies
  1. Lee Lofland
    Lee Lofland says:

    Dave – Similar story. The guy who taught me defensive tactics in the academy (Okay, that was back when we carried rocks for weapons and drove Flintstone cars) chased a guy into a house. The bad guy climbed into the attic, and when the sergeant stuck his head through the opening the crook shot him in the face with a sawed-off shotgun.

    Back up arrived and after a couple more shots had been fired by the thug, the officers filled the ceiling beneath him full of bullet holes. After several minutes of silence they finally shoved a German Shepherd up there to get the guy. No need.

    Becky – Some of these photos would be perfect in our book, but I guess we’ll have to settle for whatever the illustrator decides to do. The good news is that all those folks in the pictures are the people who’ve been providing the current information for the book. So, I guess we could use today’s post as our acknowledgments page.

    Joyce – I’m anxious to see the photos you include on the day that you’re on as guest blogger. That’s April 15th, right?

  2. D. Swords
    D. Swords says:

    Lee, your story of chasing the escapee reminded me of a story I have to share.

    I had warrants for a burglar and was watching for him near an apartment that I had received a tip he was staying at with a girl. We spotted each other about the same time and he disappeared between some houses, but I knew where he had gone. I called for assistance and several officers showed up, including a fairly new officer – who is now a Captain.

    Fast forward to the officer going into the attic to look for the suspect when suddenly, we heard a crash and a gun shot. Looking up, we saw the officer’s feet sticking through the ceiling – one leg on each side of a ceiling joist. YOUCH!

    No wonder his gun went off!

    End of story? The burglar went to prison, and the officer, amazingly, went on to get married and father two children.

  3. Lee Lofland
    Lee Lofland says:

    Can’t sneak a thing by a crusty, old ex-cop, can I?

    You should recognize that location. After all, you worked next door for thirty years.

    Yep, that’s me in the black and white shot. The guy in cuffs was a prisoner who’d escaped from a state prison and had been on the run for a couple of hours. I was on my way to court and saw him walking along the railroad tracks. I got out of my car and chased him on foot until he ran inside a house. I found him hiding in a closet, and after a very brief struggle (not sure how his head hit that doorjamb), I handcuffed him and took him to the state corrections officers who’d lost him in the first place. Funny how they tend to misplace those guys from time-to-time.

  4. Auntieamy71
    Auntieamy71 says:

    I think you’re right D. Swords!!! I thought so too.

    Lee, these pics are great. They remind me of why we should always thank the police, not cuss them out.

  5. D. Swords
    D. Swords says:

    Hi, Lee.

    I believe I recognize the location of the pic with you and the S.O. cruiser.

    The B&W photo of the plainclothesman with the handcuffed prisoner – is that who I think it is?

  6. Lee Lofland
    Lee Lofland says:

    Terry – There was nothing I could have said that the pictures themselves don’t describe. As they say in a place where I used to live, “Them’s good people.”

    The picture you mentioned is of a sheriff’s deputy who works in the courts transporting prisoners to and from jail and the courtroom. He’s also one of the deputies in charge of courtroom security. You can see by the number of restraints he’s carrying that there are quite a few prisoners inside that courthouse holding cell he’s unlocking. It was time to transport the inmates back to jail.

    Okay, here’s some jail trivia for you. The key he’s using to unlock the door is a Folger-Adams key (brand name) and it’s made from solid brass.

    Elena – It was difficult enough to come up with the opening paragraph, but 29,000 words, geez…

  7. Elena
    Elena says:

    Terry,
    I’m one of those people who automatically count things – LOL
    Lee would have had to come up with 29,000 words to match this 🙂

    It’s a wonderful collection of photos that remind me of some of the greatest people I have ever known.

  8. Terry
    Terry says:

    If a picture is worth 1000 words, then someone who counted all the great shots here can let us know how long this would have been had Lee chosen to write it instead.
    (love the second to the last shot)

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