My First (for real) Building Search

jul 20, '06 11:57 pm for everyone Back about, well, more than a few years ago! My best friend at the time, "Rod", and I had graduated Peace Officer Training, (or for you plebescites out there, Police Academy) and had gone to work at the same small Department. After proper training with a Field-Training Officer, we'd been assigned as partners to patrol duty. As I said, this was a small Dept. and a small town, about 35, or 40 miles down a backroad from Ft. Worth, Tx. The only excitement we usually had was drunks coming north from Lake 'Whatnot' on the weekends, and of course, the ubiquitous speeders; the mayor's kin, who thought they could get away with anything; and the local "characters". One night, we were bored, riding around, pretending there was an outbreak of "Alien Ninjas landing in our area",( Those of you who have patrolled late night in rural areas know the type of boredom I'm talking about.) we got an alarm at the High-School Gym. Some of you may know how important football is in small-town Texas, and in this gym was all of the football equipment and training gear this town owned, including some really expensive weight training stuff. Well the alarm was for an open door at the boy's locker room, which enters directly into the weight-training room of the gym. Needless to say "Rod" and I were very keyed up! We ran 'code' (85mph[the fastest our worn-out old patrol car would do] with lights and siren going full-tilt) all the way to the school, ( a good 6 blocks) screeched up to the open door, and did the classic one-two entrance into dark unknown buildings, just we'd been taught. We cleared the weight-room, then turned left into the bathroom, cleared it, and continued on into the shower area. The shower stalls were set five individual open-front stalls down each side of this long, narrow, dark room. "Rod" and I were leapfrogging each other,(this is a method whereby each officer goes through a view restriction area, such as a doorway, then covers the other officer as he/she goes through the next one), weapons free, and interlocked with our flashlights, so that wherever you pointed your flashlight, there your weapon would be aimed also. You cops out there know the technique well. Anyway, there we were leapfrogging in the dark. In the last room to check, the shower room, tension level and adrenaline meter at "Full-throttle High". We got to the last two stalls, sweating, tense, nervous. I cleared the one to the left, then "Rod" leaped around the corner to the one on the right, and "BLAM!,BLAM!" I crouched, and turned to cover "Rod". He said he'd seen a man dressed in dark clothing, pointing a gun at him! I turned the corner, slowly, peaking around it, and found a full-length mirror, which had been shot-to-death in it's prime! I was so relieved that was all it was! Of course he had to buy a new mirror, and justify the shots fired. and be called "Barney Fife" for a while. As a matter of fact, the rest of the time he and I were partnered, they called us "Andy and Barney". Ah the old times! ©F.Pierce 7/21/06