Arrest Me

Part 4

Scene:  The following day.  Watch Commander’s office, end of PM watch.  Officer Earnest, looking miserable, is seated in front of the desk, a grim-looking Sergeant Fitzwilliam perched on edge of the desk in front of him.

Fitz:  I understand you were involved in an incident this evening, and there’s some question about your actions in responding to it.

Earnest:  I don’t think there’s much question about it, Sarge.  I didn’t follow protocol.  Wry’s filling out the report right now.

Fitz:  I know.  Just tell me in your own words—everything that you remember.

Earnest:  (Takes deep breath.)  We got the four-five-nine call about eleven o’clock, and when we got to the location we saw someone run out of the store.  He had a gun.

Fitz:  What did you do?

Earnest:  (Shrugs.)  I bailed out of the car and took off after him.

Fitz:  What did Wry do?  Did he call out at all, either to you or to the suspect?

Earnest:  Yeah, he and I both called out to the suspect, told him to stop, but of course he didn’t, so—

Fitz:  So you kept after him.

Earnest:  (Nods.)  I went after him.  I was a lot closer to him than Pete was, and I knew I had a better shot at catching him.  He turned down an alley at the end of the block.

Fitz:  Did you have your weapon out?

Earnest:  Yes, sir.

Fitz:  Again, did Wry call anything out?  Did you hear him say anything as you were running?

Earnest:  I heard him yell something, but to be honest, my adrenaline was pumping and all my focus was on the guy in front of me, so I didn’t catch what Pete was saying.

Fitz:  And then what happened, when you went into the alley?

Earnest:  (Takes breath.)  I didn’t see the suspect, so I slowed down.  There was a fence with some shrubbery next to it on my right, and the building was on my left.

Fitz:  Did you use your flash light?

Earnest:  No, sir.  (Shakes head ruefully.)  I was in such a hurry to get after the guy, I left my torch in the patrol unit.

Fitz:  Bad move.  Okay, so you slowed down once you got into the alley.

Earnest:  Yes, sir.

Fitz:  Then what?

Earnest:  I heard something up ahead—behind the building or somewhere in that area, so I was making my way toward the back of the building as quietly as I could.

Fitz:  And?

Earnest:  (Looking chagrinned.)  That’s when I suddenly felt a gun at my back.

Fitz:  (Nodding.)  He ambushed you.

Earnest:  Yes, sir.

Fitz:  So there you were in a dark alley, alone, with an armed man holding a gun on you from behind.

Earnest:  (Unhappily.)  Yes, sir.