As I stood at my bus stop after work, I witnessed what could have been a Cops show--"watching poor people fight," as Jon Dee Graham says. I can't watch it, myself.
An SUV raced by me (I believe it was gray, Officer), followed in two heartbeats by a police cruiser blaring its siren and speeding madly past. At the intersection just past the bus stop, the SUV hung a right, then the cruiser screeched and squealed on its wheels into the same turn.
I read in the SUV's progress the tiniest hesitation, then about 50 yards up the street it pulled over. The cop car pulled over too, just as the perp popped up out of his vehicle and--what the what!--started walking determinedly up the street. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with close-cut hair (I'm thinking ex-military). He was very dark-skinned and wearing a blazing white polo shirt with what I imagine to be a bulls-eye in the center. He was ignoring the young cops--there's no one there at all, he's thinking--turning his back on them as he walked away. I held my breath. Please, mister, I thought, don't turn your back on a couple of over-excited cops with guns on their hips. The lady cop ran around and in front of the guy while her partner closed the perimeter from behind. Suddenly,whoof! a cloud burst next to the guy's face. It took me a second to comprehend that it wasn't the gunshot I was fearing but a shot of pepper spray. And she missed! Polo shirt staggered a step or two, then continued up the street and over the hill, the cops in pursuit, disappearing from my view.
Where in God's name were the backups? The situation needed to be brought under control. Then I heard them, from every direction, and watched a police car come careening up the road--where I'm still waiting for my bus. I raised my arm and pointed up the street. This cop car braked suddenly and took the right turn on two wheels. As three other cop cars converged on the scene, the young cops and the man in white, handcuffed now but still walking tall, came down the hill, and the suspect was almost nonchalantly led to the first cop car and placed inside.
The suspect had not acted in any way like I thought a criminal would act, and the cops were clearly not disposed to violence or brutality. Huh, I thought. Not really like Cops at all.
Just then, my bus arrived. As I climbed aboard, the driver said, "What's all the drama here?"
An SUV raced by me (I believe it was gray, Officer), followed in two heartbeats by a police cruiser blaring its siren and speeding madly past. At the intersection just past the bus stop, the SUV hung a right, then the cruiser screeched and squealed on its wheels into the same turn.
I read in the SUV's progress the tiniest hesitation, then about 50 yards up the street it pulled over. The cop car pulled over too, just as the perp popped up out of his vehicle and--what the what!--started walking determinedly up the street. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with close-cut hair (I'm thinking ex-military). He was very dark-skinned and wearing a blazing white polo shirt with what I imagine to be a bulls-eye in the center. He was ignoring the young cops--there's no one there at all, he's thinking--turning his back on them as he walked away. I held my breath. Please, mister, I thought, don't turn your back on a couple of over-excited cops with guns on their hips. The lady cop ran around and in front of the guy while her partner closed the perimeter from behind. Suddenly,whoof! a cloud burst next to the guy's face. It took me a second to comprehend that it wasn't the gunshot I was fearing but a shot of pepper spray. And she missed! Polo shirt staggered a step or two, then continued up the street and over the hill, the cops in pursuit, disappearing from my view.
Where in God's name were the backups? The situation needed to be brought under control. Then I heard them, from every direction, and watched a police car come careening up the road--where I'm still waiting for my bus. I raised my arm and pointed up the street. This cop car braked suddenly and took the right turn on two wheels. As three other cop cars converged on the scene, the young cops and the man in white, handcuffed now but still walking tall, came down the hill, and the suspect was almost nonchalantly led to the first cop car and placed inside.
The suspect had not acted in any way like I thought a criminal would act, and the cops were clearly not disposed to violence or brutality. Huh, I thought. Not really like Cops at all.
Just then, my bus arrived. As I climbed aboard, the driver said, "What's all the drama here?"
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