Why I love the Police

dog3

New member
Okay, no fussing. This is a feel-good thread for the LEO's (Low Earth Orbit?) of this board.

I have some cop encounter horror stories, I have some cop encounter horror stories when I was the horrible cop. I also have some I Love the Police Stories, and I want share one of them.

-------------------------------

Somewhere around New Years Day, mebbe it was new years day, 1981 or so. The Dog was merrily making his way back up to WV from Baton Rouge where he had been for xmas visiting friends. It was an abnormally cold holiday season in the south, pipes bursting all over the place as the temps in the deep south approached zero some nights. All in all pretty miserable.

The dog was merrily putt-putting his way east across interstate 40 towards Va from Nashville somewhere west of Knoxville when his 63 vw bug started to bellyache about something. It was near midnight, and in those days I40 was not what it is today. Sometime in the wee hours it ran out of power entirely and the dog pulled off the road at the top of an entrance ramp with no services, bundled up as best he could and walked across the interstate to the westbound side and attempted to hitch a ride back to last truck stop he saw some 20 miles back.

It was not to be, the little traffic there was, was comprised of 18wheelers moving like southern freights in open country (which they were) and the blast of cold of every passing truck was just too much. The dog caved and piled back into the back seat of his little bug and cocooned up best he could in his sleeping bag to await daylight.

Sometime in the night, a cruiser pulled up behind him and hit the bug with a spotlight, paused, and then moved on. The dog was grateful, he didn't want to come out of the sleeping bag to explain why he was camping on an interstate right-of-way.

Suddenly, there was an intense rapping on the glass that just wouldn't stop. The dog managed to free his head from his sleeping back and everything was light, he was confused, he was disoriented, then he heard the voice. "Anyone in there? Are you Okay?"

It was day light, hours later. The dog was so cold he could hardly speak let alone move. Someone was trying to get into the car, but it was locked, and they were banging on the glass and yelling, "Anyone In there?".

The glass was covered with about 1/2" of frost on the inside, so no one could see in, and the dog couldn't see out. The voice said "Unlock the door, this is the Police".

The dog fumbled foward and grabbed the door latch and opened it, and there in the whipping cold, was a Sgt of the Tennessee State Police. A cop, a pig, who with a look of shock on his face said, "Oh my God!, son, get back here into my cruiser right now."

It took the dog a few moments to get unravelled and with the troopers help, he stumbled back to the cruiser, (right front seat) to thaw out.

The Sgt got in and began to apologise profusely for it seems that he had been the car in the night with the spotlight, and just couldn't belive that anyone would out on a night this cold, so he hadn't bothered to get out and check the vehicle because it was so cold and he saw no sign of any occupant. But he hadn't gotten out and checked. So it had gnawed at him that he hadn't /made sure/. So at the end of his shift he came back and saw the frosted up windows and freaked out. There was someone in there. Not usually a big deal, but you see, dear reader, that night it had been a record 15 below with wind gusts to 40 mph. Someone could have easily frozen to death because the trooper -in his mind and heart- hadn't /made sure/.

We drove off up the interstate a few more miles to the next truck stop where he bought me breakfast, had his son-in-law take his tow-truck out and fetch my little bug and take it to a heated garage to thaw out what was obviously a frozen fuel line.

He shared a lot of things with me, like what was wrong with Pot. (this was before the war-on-drugs upped the ante). Pot he said was evil because on a night as cold this one, beautiful gals were home in bed by themselves, and the guys who should be sleepin with them to keep them warm were huddled up smoking that damned dope somewhere.

He kept saying he should have had checked, I could have spent the night at his house on the couch in front of the fire and his wife would have fixed us breakfast. Then we could have gone out and fetched my car.

By noon my car was running again, I made what thanks to all I could, remembered the drygas after that, and left for home.

He was an old timer, had white hair, and as a trooper had no doubt seen and done some real sh*t in his day.

As far as I am concerned he was as good a man as God ever let walk the face of this earth. And he wore the badge. Because of men and women like him, I love the police.

True story.
 
I'm real lucky; I've never been in this sort of situation of need. From what I've read over the last decades, there are many more instances of this type than there are of wrongful behavior. Probably been more cops who've delivered babies than ever shot anybody...

Art
 
Couple of years ago i got a call to do a welfare check in one of our small towns in the county i work in. After arriving there i found that an 85 year old lady had fallen down and i helped her back to her feet and to a chair. [no injuries] After doing so she invited me to stay, have a cup of coffee, and chat for a awhile.
Well i sat there, shared this womans coffee with her and listened to her tell me about her life and many other things that had happened to her in her 85 year journey. Just sitting there, soaking it all up, i felt like i had done some real good for once. She thanked me for my efforts and i was one my way. That one call has made up for alot of other calls i have been on and i believe to this day it is the essence of what police do and are about. She reminded me of why i do this job; and why all the nay sayers to police work don't have a clue to what it's all about and never will.
 
dog,

Thanks for sharing...
Just wish everyone here would read your story.
We need more of them.
I'm sorry it happened to you; but I'm proud it happened in my State.

There really is something to that motto:
TO PROTECT AND SERVE

Hope you had better luck the next time you drove through....

All the best

------------------
...defend the 2nd., it protects us all.
No fate but what we make...
 
Lets face it. In the LEO community there are some bad apples and some good apples, just like and other group of people. Unfortunaly, we hear more about the bad apples than the good apples. Hang in there, and try to do the right thing.
 
You know, I'm really SICK of the LEO bashing that's been going on lately around here. I'm also put off by the "I-love-everybody-let's-all-have-a-group-hug countermeasures by others. This seems to be a happy medium, so thanks, dog3, for posting it.
- - - - - - - - - - -
When I was 19, I drove a turd-brown 1966 Chevy pickup. This beast had a straight 6, 2-wheel drive and 3-on the tree. It also had no turn signals, one brake light, left headlight worked on low only, right headlight worked on high only, four bald tires, one working windshield wiper, and would threaten to shake itself apart if I went over 52 mph.

Guess what happened? I got pulled over. After giving her my license and registration, the state trooper told me I was going 5 miles over the speed limit. I politely informed her that it was physically impossible for my vehicle to go 60 mph. She stepped back, kinda shook her head and grinned. Then she informed me that the speed limit was reduced to 45 a few miles back due to a rough road and that she had clocked me doing 50 mph. I figured I was dead meat with all the violations I had on the truck especially after she did a safety inspection. What she told me then was "You can do a lot more with $75 to this truck than pay a ticket. Here's a list of your violations, have them fixed within the next 5 days and bring the truck to the Ravenna Station to have it inspected. We'll let you go with a warning this time. Have a nice day."

A very good experience all in all. 'Nuff said.

------------------
RKBA!

"The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security"
Ohio Constitution, Article I, Section 4
Concealed Carry is illegal in Ohio.
Ohioans for Concealed Carry Website
 
Back in 1984, when I was a Sergeant, working dayshift, I recieved a call to meet someone at City Hall. When I arrived there, it seems that two air force Officers, had to deliver a death notification, to a family in my city. It seems that this young air force non com, had been killed, while stationed in Europe. I went with these guys to the home and told the husband and wife, the bad news about their son. They were keeping a small child, a little boy who was their grandson, the son of the airman who been killed. It was a sad duty to have to perform, as it always is for us. I have delivered dozens of these types of messages in my career as a Peace Officer. This past week, my agency worked a terible wreck with three teenagers involved. They were driving a 1985 Camaro with "T" tops. They were driving extremely fast, not wearing seat belts and the car was going so fast that they couldn't make the curve even though they left over 200 feet of heavy black skid marks. The car left the road, went airborne and flipped over and came down on its roof. The passenger was partially ejected and the cars weight came down on his head. The Paramedics did all within their power, we called the life saver helicopter and the Doctor and Nurse arrived in time to see the 17 yr old boy breath his last. I called one of the Chaplains that my Agency uses, to help us in cases such as this. We went to the exact same house that I had been to back in 1984. I had to tell the Grandmother, that the Grandson, the son of her now, long dead son, would not be coming home again. I thought the first time was bad, this was worse. Sometimes, I hate this job. This is one of those times.

------------------
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL POLICE, KEEP THEM INDEPENDENT.

[This message has been edited by 7th Fleet (edited February 12, 2000).]
 
Since I have moved to the South MS & TN, I hardly ever see motorists pulled over by the police. Things seem so laid-back here from what I am use to (I grew up in Kansas). In general, I find that if we obey the laws, the LEO's, appreciate it and leave us alone, no matter where we are.
 
I have said it before and I will say it again. Almost all of the LEOs that I know/have worked with become LEOs because deep down inside they want to give back to society. TO PROTECT AND SERVE is not a casual saying to them.
And in case I forgot to say it THANK YOU!!
 
Back
Top