Quick reflexes spare officer from head-on collision

Early one evening while working for the highway patrol, I was stopped on the overcrossing watching traffic when I observed a big rig in the middle of three lanes. There were no cars in the slow lane and he appeared to be driving over the speed limit. I entered the freeway and started to pace his vehicle. I moved behind him and once he spotted me, he slowed way down. I stayed behind him for a few minutes to give him time to think about his unlawful driving. When he finally put his right turn signal on, I figured he understood that I wanted him to move into the slow lane. I then decided to pass him on the left and go look for more serious violations.

When I pulled into the fast lane around him, I immediately observed a large Cadillac in the fast lane coming right at me, driving the wrong way on the freeway. I don’t know how I was able to react so quickly, but I swerved back into the number two lane and avoided a head-on collision. I think I scared him as much as he scared me, because he immediately swerved into the center divider and stopped. I gained my composure and went back to his location. He was an

older gentleman who wasn’t sure of his location. I towed his vehicle, completed a driver re-evaluation form and gave him a ride home. It took me a while to relax after that incident.

— BS

JUST A LITTLE RESPECT

I worked the streets of a large city in the Midwest for 30 years and retired in 1998 from the University Police Department. One day, an all agency call was put out to be on the lookout for a felony suspect who had assaulted a state trooper. The trooper was trying to arrest the suspect and was trying to remove him from his vehicle when the trooper was kicked into the adjacent traffic lane. The vehicle description was put out and I saw the occupied vehicle, so I made a traffic stop. Since there were no back-up units available, I didn’t know what to expect.

I approached the vehicle and said, “Sir, would you please exit the vehicle and place your hands on the roof as you are under arrest.” The suspect complied with my orders and I arrested him without any issues.

While he was sitting behind my

screen in the back seat of my patrol car, I asked him why he didn’t resist as he had done previously. His simple answer stunned me when he said, “Because you showed me respect and the other cop didn’t.” During the following years and countless arrests, I always showed respect to all the people I dealt with.

— LN

I THINK I’LL STAY IN THE UNIT

While working with the Sheriff’s Department, I was given the opportunity to work narcotics. In my first couple of days, I was assigned to review reports of neighborhood drug activity. The rest of my “dope” partners were involved in a major investigation which was probably playing Pac Man or Donkey Kong.

I drove to the east part of town, to an apartment complex where it was reported that drug activity was occurring. I found the apartment mentioned on the report and surveyed the area. While walking on the public sidewalk to the rear of the apartment complex, I passed by the side window of the apartment that I was investigating. The light was on and I could hear men talking

loudly. I stood there on the sidewalk and heard one guy shout out, “Let’s rob the Radio Shack.” One man said, “You got your gun?” The other man replied, “Yes, you got your mask?”

I ran back to my car and contacted one of my partners via the radio. I told him my location and that I heard some guys planning a robbery. I then observed three guys exit the apartment and get into a Chevy El Camino. I told my partner that I would be following them and requested backup. The vehicle drove past the Radio Shack and stopped on a side street. One suspect exited the car and walked down to the Radio Shack and peered inside. After a few minutes, he walked back to the car.

I followed them to a Circle K store, where they parked a block away and looked inside the store. They eventually left and I followed them to a shoe store. They checked that store out as well. They parked their car near an alley and two suspects got out of the car and walked up to the shoe store. I was then joined by my partner. We observed the two suspects place masks on their faces, pull out their guns, go into the store, and rob the clerks.

My partner and I ran across the street and hid behind a car while we watched the suspects commit an armed robbery. My partner told me to take one of the suspects when he exited and my partner would take the other one. When the suspects busted out the door, they were met by two deputies pointing firearms in their faces who told them to hit the deck.

My bad guy got a little fearful and wet himself while lying on the ground. Other deputies responded and arrested the suspect in the getaway car. It felt good to have the duty sergeant drive up, pat us on the back and congratulate us. However, he ruined it by ending with, “Now, go back and do the paperwork.” A further investigation revealed that one of the suspects had robbed that Radio Shack a couple of times in the past.

— DL

Brian Smith served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and retired as an assistant chief with the California Highway Patrol. He resides in Bakersfield. If you have a personal “Cop Tale” to share, please contact Smith at bmsmith778@ gmail.com.