Update to the Rookie

Photo: NBC

A few months ago, I wrote about a rookie cop on our squad who was undergoing the trial-by-fire that can be Midnight Shift. The final four days of his one year probationary period were last week. On the fourth night, he seemed a little overwhelmed. Our business was heavy and the manpower was short.

The New Guy went call to call for the whole ten hours and into OT without a break or meal. I ended up on most of his dispatches. Early on, he assisted with arresting the suspect at a bar fight. He came back in service from that to handle a domestic battery in one of our plentiful trailer parks. A seriously intox male had bitten his girlfriend in the face. Unfortunately ho-hum for the mobile homes.

“Is your name Timmy or Timothy?” asked New Guy. The drunk replied, “Timmy…” And slowly added, “…theee.” The suspect was so under the influence, he just stood there swaying, eyes closed, making little crab-claw motions with his hands. He admitted to biting his Beloved, who now sported fresh teeth marks. New Guy and I threw Timmy-theee in handcuffs. This was just the rookie’s second report of the night.

New Guy got started on the paper until the wagon arrived to transport the biter to County Jail, but more calls were holding and rookie had to go en route to the next scene. After a few back-ups, perimeters, and one additional police report taken, New Guy hit the jackpot again as the primary unit on another in-progress domestic. This one involved two grown brothers and their elderly mother. Details came in as units converged.

The “boys,” both in their late 40’s, were drunk and fist fighting at 5:30 in the morning. Elderly mom got knocked over during the house-trashing melee. Blood was everywhere. We arrived in time to break it up in the driveway.

Paramedics rolled in to clean up a couple of nasty lacerations and examine a tremendous throbbing contusion on Victim Brother’s head. Suspect Brother, who started and apparently finished the fight, went to jail with a bandaged hand. He bitched that his brother did not want to press charges. “Yeah, but the State of Florida does,” the rook shot back. Nice.

With the prisoner already headed to jail and a Sequoia of paperwork to complete, New Guy was now one year less new and off his probation. Dawn was beginning to break. Both the sun and the rookie were beaming. Four reports and two arrests on the night. The new Officer said, “I made it!” I hope he says that every single shift for a happy and safe career.

Randall