July 16th, 2012
The helicopter was low. So low that I could see what the pilot had for lunch by what food was still stuck to his teeth as he stared at us from up above. I was in awe of it. The blades of the chopper creating a down force of wind so strong I felt like I was in the biggest windstorm of my life. The wind cutting through the thick brush as sharp as the helicopters blades that were cutting the air. Forcing the thick brush to separate and making it easier to see inside the foliage. My focus redirected by an over bearing voice trying to shout over the whirling sounds of the chopper.
“Hey! Hey! Over here, look over here!” I turn my head quickly to my left, as if the wind slapped me in the face for my attention. It was my fellow officer who was on the man hunt with me. Just moments earlier a check cashing store was robbed by a man in a black mask, welding a semi-automatic hand gun. We were hot on his trail behind a row of houses not too far from where the robbery occurred.
Before I ended up below this flying machine and got on this foot chase. I had arrived to the scene of the robbery first where I met a frantic female worker. She was screaming, shaking and nervous. This had been the second robbery this week for her and this time the bad guy put her in the bathroom and barricaded her inside.
“Ay dios mio!” is what I heard her yelling in Spanish as I exited my police car.
In her terrified state she reverted back to her native Spanish even thought she spoke perfect English. The fear in her eyes, the nervousness in her voice was evident the moment I made contact with her.
“Breathe for me, now, relax”, I said in a calm tone. “I want to help you but you need to calm down. Take it slow and tell me what happened so I can get the information out to my officers.”
“The man, the man come in and put on a mask after I buzzed the door open.” Her particular store had been robbed a few times so the owners installed an electric door so they could buzz in the people using a remote control.
“As he walked in, he put on a mask and pulled a gun on me!” She screams out the last few words and begins to cry uncontrollably.
“ Palm’s West” I begin to say on the radio, “ So far I have a individual armed with a gun and robbed the victim, it is a confirmed robbery.”
As I continue to calm her down I ask her more questions so I can get the information out and set up a perimeter. In essence a large net of police cars that will box a suspect in the area he was last seen. This way hopefully he will be contained when we search for him with a canine dog and other officer’s.
“What kind of gun was it.”
“Did it look like mine.” Pointing at it while it is still in the holster.
“What color was he?”
“What was he wearing?”
“Did you see facial hair?”
“Which way did he run?”
After I collect all the information I needed I began my broadcast of the information on the police radio for all the other police personnel to hear.
“Palms West to units, we are looking for a black male, wearing all black, unknown facial hair because he had a mask over his face, armed with a semi- automatic hand gun. His last known location was running northbound form my position.”
You see, as a victim of a crime, the quicker you calm down and talk to me without screaming, the faster I can get the information out. Easy for me to say I know since I wasn't the one with the gun in my face. That whole sequence of events only took four minutes from the moment I arrived to her distress call on 911 to the second I broadcasted it out..
While other officer were setting up their perimeter in strategic areas. I went to the rear of my police cruiser and removed my Olympic Arms AR-15. The kind of guns you see the boys in green, our military, carry.
I am ready to go on the chase. I was just waiting for the canine officer to arrive with the dog so we can begin our pursuit of justice.
PART II, JULY 17, 2012 AT 4:00PM EST.
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Christopher Fusaro. The author of Captain Imperfecto.
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You are living the life bud, stay safe.
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