Oct 2023. Blues Vol 39 No. 10

154 The BLUES Trooper

154 The BLUES Trooper Evans walked up, and I filled him in on what I had so far. He agreed to start the report if I handled traffic and Care Flight. This was going to be a long, long night for him. Fatalities take forever to work. Finally, they got the lady out of the car and onto a stretcher and headed to the helicopter. Once you hear those blades and motor rev up, you know to look away because dirt and sand are headed your way. I gathered all the witnesses’ names and turned them over to the Trooper. He was already taking statements and working the scene. Now came the worst part of my night. “Hey Evans, I’ll do the notification for you.” “Are you sure” he asked, but really didn’t want me to say no. “Yeah, it was my call, and you have a shitload of work ahead of you, so I’ll do it” I shot a pic of the man’s driver’s license and Googled the address. I was thankful it wasn’t right around the corner. I needed time to prepare myself. I hate making notifications. As I pulled up outside a beautiful two-story home on a cul-de-sac, I couldn’t help but think how I was about to destroy someone’s life. I mean I know it wasn’t me that took his life, but I’m the one that would deliver that horrible news and his family would always remember that cop that told them their loved one was never coming home. As I walked up the driveway, I saw what I assumed was the wife’s minivan. On the back window was one of those stupid decals I hate with the stick figures. A man, wife and two kids. So, you already know in your head what’s about to happen. I rang the doorbell and a small boy about 10 years old opens the door. “Hi son, is your mom home?” The mom walks up as I said ‘home’, and you could tell by the look on her face, she knew. She knew her world was never going to be the same no matter what I was there for. She knows why you’re there, and you know she knows. There is just no easy way to tell them. “Ma’am, can we go inside, I have some bad news to share with you about your husband. I’m very sorry to tell you that your husband has been killed in a car crash.” Naturally, she cries, while you do your best not to. You offer to make phone calls for her and to stay with her until a family member, minister, or someone that cares about her can get there. And the kids. Why is mommy crying? I don’t know what’s worse. Telling a spouse, the one they love isn’t coming home again, or telling a parent they lost a child. I stayed there comforting her for almost two hours, until her sister arrived. Then I needed someone for the sister. It was almost 4am. I had two hours to go. Truth is I just wanted to go home. “5Frank36, I’m back in, notification was made at 01.56 hrs. ma’am” I check the open calls and take an open burglary just around the corner. As I pull up the family is standing in the driveway. What the hell! “Hello. What’s going on? Why are you guys outside? Is someone in your house? The husband tells me they just returned home from a family trip and found the front door wide open. I called for backup, and we checked the house. It was clear, but someone had obviously ransacked the place. The homeowners check for missing property, and I started the report. The total value wasn’t much, and I knew, CS Techs weren’t coming out for this. So, I finished the report and gave the wife the case number. With an hour to go, I decided a Whataburger drive-thru for a Breakfast on a Bun was just the ticket. A block away, the pickup in front of me was weaving all over the road. WTF. 5Frank36, traffic, possible DWI, Main Street in front of the Whataburger. Can you send me another unit. Sure enough, he was drunk. Three more hours of paperwork. No Breakfast on a Bun, and damn if it wasn’t daylight. I hate getting home after sunrise. So, there it is, my war story. Really not much of a war story at all. Just another routine night on patrol. CLICK OR SCAN HERE

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