Monday, May 12, 2014

The Viking...

Den of the Beastly Bear

Hi Folks!

Who else has that "Rainy day feeling again"?

It's pouring here in the Southeastern Mitten, it's a "blah", miserable kind of day that just has me waiting for the other shoe to drop, if you know what I mean.

As previously mentioned, these kind of days remind me of my time spent in a patrol car during optional semester of my senior year. More about that, here.

There were certain days where there was just a palpable feeling of waiting for something to happen.
Contrary to what most people think, that is not "typical". As Officer George told me..."Complacency kills more Cops than bullets!" Most of what you do all day is routine, even mundane...but there are those days!!!

One such day started boring enough, but there was something in the air...that sense of impending doom. 

It was raining steadily and that was keeping most folks indoors....even criminals don't like being cold and wet!

At lunchtime we drove to the Wendy's at Telegraph and Dixie, where Officer George got a salad and I got a burger and a lecture about what I was putting into my body for fuel! Lol.

Officer George, being an Ex-Olympian still took his diet and workouts seriously!

We were almost done when we heard an "All units" call of 10-78 (Officer needs assistance) at the Social Services building. 

The Social Services building was disjointed from the rest of the County complex, and as a "Duty Station" had one Officer dedicated per shift.

We were close, as Dixie Hwy. turns into Oakland Ave. just up the road from us, and the Social Services Building sat near the Oakland Ave./Widetrack Dr. intersection.

We hastily cleared the detritus of our meal and were out the door and on our way in under a minute.
As we acknowledged the call, we heard other cars following suit.

We hit the road, gravel flying and rubber squealing...lights and sirens! The normal 10 min. trip took us less than 5, "officer needs assistance" translates to "officer in trouble"!

As we slid to a stop in the parking/service area under the building, 2 other units rolled in with us. 

Not waiting for the elevators we took the stairs, two at a time and burst onto the main level in time for a loud shattering of glass.

The Social Services Building had, in a previous life been a school building...now re-purposed into cubicles and small offices. Tasteful "L" shaped aluminum and glass corner pieces attempted to give the whole thing a more modern appearance.

It was one of these that produced that crash of glass that greeted us as we came onto the floor, as the Duty Officer was flung bodily through it!!! 

The "Fling-er" looked like and extra from any Viking movie you've ever seen. About 6'5" tall and easily 350 lbs., broad of shoulder, barrel chested and thick necked! Bald on top, his sky blue eyes a sharp contrast to his long red hair, which was well past his shoulders and blended perfectly with enough red beard for 3 normal men! All he was missing was the horned helmet, shield and short sword!

And he was PISSED!!!

"WHERE'S MY WIFE???" he bellowed, spit flying...at the social worker cowering behind his desk.

"I told you.....I can't tell you..." he whimpered at the Viking.

"AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH" he roared as he grabbed the desk and flung IT across the small space to smash against the wall. Face on fire, veins bulging, in full berserker mode!!!

This all happened in the seconds it took us to reach the combatants.

"Stay out of the way and do what I tell you" Officer George told me as they joined the fray...by this time the Duty Officer had regained his feet, the right sleeve of his uniform shirt in tatters and leaking blood at a prodigious rate, he jumped back in too.

With four seasoned cops on him it was only a matter of time before they'd be able to wrestle the cuffs on him, though just barely...

"Bring him in here..." suggested one of the workers, indicating a windowless office with a steel door with but a small pane of wire reinforced glass in it.

"Get'em in there" grunted Officer George to the rest of the group...as they inched in that direction, barely controlling him as he fought like a madman.

I held open the door as they struggled by me into the sparse room, which contained a few filing cabinets but nothing else.

"I almost got the cuffs on" said one of the other officers.
"Owww, Jesus Christ he's biting me!" yelled another.
"Joe, lock the door once we're inside." Officer George said to me.

When finally they had bulled the Viking inside, I stepped in and pulled the door closed behind me and flipped the lever for the lock.

"I got it!" I heard before I could turn around "He's cuffed"

"AAAARRRRGGGHHH" the Viking renewed his efforts, and as I turned around I was shocked to discover not a single Cop on their feet!!! 

But the Viking was!!!

"I'LL...KILL...YOU..." He roared at me, murder in his eyes and "Launched" himself in my direction. I say launch, because he gathered his feet under him, crouched and sprang at me head first...like a battering ram!!!

With all the Cops on the ground and a giant Red headed Viking looking to separate me from my own sweet life, I did what anyone would do...I moved!!!

With no way to alter course, and no way to stop himself with his hands cuffed behind his back, the Viking drove himself head first into the cinder-block wall of the office! Actually BREAKING one of the blocks with the force of the collision!!! Senseless, he fell in a heap at my feet...this allowed the Cops to all regain their feet. A hog tie strap was produced and used to full effect, while he was insensate and easy to control.

With a Cop on each arm, and one on each leg they carried him down to one of the squad cars and loaded him in back. It was off to Emergency and then the Hospital Psych. ward for our irate Viking, and just Emergency for the injured Officer.

Officer George and I were involved in taking witness statements, and finding out just what the Hell started this rampage.

Seems our intrepid Viking had just been released from Jackson State prison...where he had been serving time for...surprise, surprise... Assault, Spousal abuse, and Strong arm robbery.

While he was doing his 7-10 years...surprise, surprise his wife decided she'd rather NOT be married to him after all, and divorced his ass while he was in prison, taking their 3 kids with her.

This angered said Viking....who, upon his release attempted to find them. Not having any luck, but hearing that the Ex was receiving state assistance he figured social services ought to tell him where to find her. When they resisted, well..you know what happened then.

About 4 days later, Officer George and I were dispatched to one of the local hospitals for a prisoner transport for a court appearance.

Low and behold, who should they wheel out in the wheelchair but our mad Viking. He was much the worse for wear, his collision with the wall having broken his nose and blackened his eyes to where he looked for all the world like a red headed raccoon. A neck brace kept his head still, and he moved with a slow deliberateness that indicated he felt like he'd been hit by a bus. The releasing nurse assured us he was heavily medicated, both because of his inherent mood disorder and the pain meds for his busted face. They had kept him for observation due to the severe concussion he'd given himself.

For whatever reason, the drugs or the pain...he was meek as a lamb.

As we drove him to the court house, Officer George called behind him. "How ya feeling there big guy?"

"Not so hot" his voice soft and his words slurred slightly.

"Do you remember us?" George asked. I turned to face him through the partition.

"Oh, yeah...Hey guys...sorry about the other day, I...I wasn't thinkin' right." he mumbled. 

"Probably gonna send ya back...you know that, right?"

"I know....stupid. Just wanted to see my kids..." with that he closed his eyes and drifted off for the rest of the ride in.

Officer George looked at him in the rearview for a minute, then back at me and gave a shrug.

"Love makes some people crazy..."

Be Well Folks!

Beastly Bear





10 comments:

  1. Ain't that a fact! I suspect many have done extremely stupid things for less live than their kids. Not that I'm talking about, you know, personal experience or anything here.

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    1. Lol, of course not Jo...I would NEVER suspect such a thing! ;-)

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  2. Thanks for the encouragement joeh!!! It's nice to know these occasionally find a receptive audience! :-)

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  3. Holy crap on a cracker!!!! You know I was picturing the biggest 'Capital One barbarian' from those commercials. lol I wonder whatever became of him? If he's still alive or in prison or what?

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    1. He was in his early 40's back those 33 some odd years ago...no telling where he is now. Hopefully he got some mental health help on his return to prison. If not, I'm thinking he eventually became a "lifer" in the prison system.

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  4. Holy moley! That viking would have scared the be Jesus out of me!! Kind of sad that he only wanted to see his kids and in the end probably didn't get to at all.

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    1. Yeah it is Kathy, but with that poor an impulse control perhaps it was for the best...
      While I hope that was sincerely his goal, I've also heard that as an excuse countless times by guys that abuse their wives and try to justify their actions!

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  5. The perfect ending to this story of course would have been that he snapped his neck when he hit the wall but he went to prison again, and I'm sure again, and again, and again. I wouldn't let that creep anywhere near my children.

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    1. I could certainly see why his wife had divorced him and disappeared with the kids!!!
      I believe she dodged a bullet when he went to prison!

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