Episode 4: The Chance FORE-some
Hey Everyone, Welcome to episode 4 of Parallel Proof.
During my 8 years as a patrol officer, there were certain things that fueled my reasoning for getting up in the morning as a cop. 5 categories to be exact. 5 motivations, --that,--- if I experienced any one of these, even just one, my day was complete. Should any one of these that I deemed the 5 S’s show up and be a part of my 24-hour period, I felt like a MAN. 5 S’s. I was easy. If I had a fantastic Sleep, was able to chase a Suspect, mauled a perfectly grilled Steak, had Sex, or was able to watch Sports, and specifically any Cleveland, Ohio sports teams, that was a great day!
This particular day offered one of these 5 S’s after midnight in a very unlikely place in the city. I was in training month 4 into the 6 month field training requirement, and I was the driver of the patrol car. My FTO (Field Training Officer) was riding shotgun and we were on the hunt. Hunting anything or anyone that will touch the Suspect category of my needs. I need it because the other 4 S’s hadn’t been available.
The search brought us to a park that closes to the public when the sun goes down. No one is supposed to anywhere in the park, including the parking lot areas. Now this particular park doubled as a 9 hole golf course complete with a restaurant and pro shop. As I was driving around the perimeter of this place, we noticed there was a vehicle deep inside, parked in the lot. Hiding in the shadows. It shouldn’t be there, and we need to make contact and let whomever know to vacate the premises. Again, saving the world, one trespasser at a time.
Turning into the driveway that leads to the parking lot, I blacked out the vehicle’s headlights for a stealth approach. The element of surprise is always a fun game in this profession. As we were rolling in, we saw an older white Ford Bronco, much like the one as seen on TV travelling down the highway with OJ Simpson hiding in the back. Same white Ford Bronco. The SUV is pulled into and parked in a spot that has those long low concrete tire stops. All the spots have these. Undetected, we position our cop car behind the Bronco say about 3 car lengths away and off center to the left, giving me a clear view of the drivers side. Pronto, and the first thing, is to shine some white lights pointing at the drivers side door and side view mirror, the other white light on the back window, then run the plates by typing the plate number into the in-car computer. Let’s find out about the SUV straight away. The windows are tinted a limo black, so I can’t see if it has a driver or not. In goes the plate number. Out of the radio comes the beautiful sounds of:
“Alpha 41, I copy your 10851. What is your location and is it occupied?” 10851! Those coveted numbers strung together like a demented gift from criminal to a cop. Vehicle Code 10851 or 10851 VC is applied to any person who drives or takes a vehicle not his or her own without the consent of the owner. It’s a stolen vehicle, and--- THERE IS A GOD! Dispatch just advised me over the radio that I ran the license plate of an SUV, which popped up on her screen, that is reported stolen. At this moment, all cops working just halted what they were doing to listen to my next words over the radio. My dispatcher wanted me to advise of 2 important pieces of information. What was my location (1), and does the boosted vehicle have any occupants (2). Basically, should the dispatcher roll other units code 3, or lights and sirens, to my discovery point.
At this moment, we aren’t totally sure there is anyone inside the Ford, ---until,---the brake lights on the back of this bronco are illuminated and activated. Someone just stepped on the brake pedal. My partner and I fling open our front doors, get out, and stand at the “V” of the door, where the door is hinged to the frame. I pull my service weapon and point directly at the driver’s side door. My FTO has the passenger side covered. The instant we see the brake lights go on, we advise dispatch its occupied and where we were. So that’s good and taken care of. As the trainee and in desperate need of practice in “calling out” a suspect from a stolen vehicle, I pulled up my big boy pants, took a deep breath, and barked out “DRIVER. ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW. DRIVER. ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW.” Typically, once the driver complies, rolling down the window is followed up with “put both hands out the window. Using your right hand, turn off the car. Using your right hand, throw the keys out the window. Put both hands out the window. Using your left hand, reach out and open the door.” And so on and so forth.
Not this time. “DRIVER ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW.” No. Driver proceeds to set the transmission into reverse, as the white back up lights were now bright and pointed at us. “DRIVER. TURN OFF THE VEHICLE.” Whoever has control of this bronco, now has this in gear, and in reverse, ready to take off. Aaaand, that is exactly what happens. The vehicle backs up a few feet, red brake lights are activated, the white lights stop shining, red lights turn off, and suddenly, driver floors it making a 90 degree right turn and directly over some parking stops, between some trees and over brush, and YES out into the golf course! Well this is new!
Parking barriers or not, trees and brush in our way or not, golf course dead ahead or not, we are committed to the chase. I mean, how often do you get to pursue another vehicle on a golf course, and not in an actual cart. I floor it and jump the parking stops and there it was, open fairway, hole number whatever, and a white Ford Bronco fleeing from our red and blue lights, siren wailing. Over fairways. Over greens. We traverse a few holes. Almost ripping up as much turf as my real golf game. I swear I heard my Field Training Officer shout “FORE!” Ahhh good times.
Anyway, I was pursuing, driving wildly trying to keep up with the 4-wheel drive beast, and this SUV proceeds to crash head on into a large concrete outdoor picnic table with concrete benches. It’s at a dead stop. Some mid 30’s male driver instantly bolts out of the driver side into the darkness and away from his ride. I know for a fact I see the direction he escapes to. My FTO thinks he sees him take off around the front of the vehicle and away from it on the passenger side. I take off in a full sprint to the left, my partner jets to the right. So we are split up running in opposite directions. Sirens in the distance. Helicopter blades whirling. What a great time to be alive!
After the perimeter is set up, I head back to the Ford and what we find inside is shocking!
Back to the story in a minute.
As I reminisce about this story and ponder all the details of this crazy pursuit, one would think what stands out would be the facts of driving like a wild man ripping up perfectly manicured lawns in a Crown Victoria Police Interceptor version of a golf cart, or chasing a suspect on foot one way while my teacher/trainer left me to my own demise the other way. No. That’s not what I remember the most about this experience. It was the lights. Those red brake lights on the rear of the SUV and those white back up lights. So bear with me.
When I read Matthew chapter 5, I can just envision Jesus standing on a gently sloping hillside near the Sea of Galilee with a mass of people tuning in. Him with a strong authoritative voice calling for moral and ethical living. Jesus, bringing the heat to them in person, and to us today. Verse 14 says and Jesus commends, “You are the light of the world. Don’t hide it,” He says, “give light, and let your light shine before everyone.” Why? He says, “so people will see your goodness, and give praise to God Himself.” He straight up said, “You are blessed or happy if you are poor in spirit. If you mourn. If you are meek. If you hunger and thirst for righteousness. Merciful, pure in heart, a peacemaker, and if you are persecuted because of your hunger and thirst. Yikes! The standard and the demands are quite intense. Anyway, that’s not the point. The parallel and the tying of what Jesus just said comes to me in the form of light. He just listed a great many strong declarations and proclamations. And follows it with, --“You are the light. Let your light shine.”
Heres the Parallel.
The moment the driver of that vehicle decided to step on the brake pedal and consciously make the decision to put it in reverse, he signaled his intention. And who he was, and what he was about to do was very evident. The light emitted from that Bronco told me everything I needed to know about what was to happen next.
Likewise, what light is projecting from you? From me? What intentions do people around you deduce from what is emanating from you? How are you seen? What opinions does everyone around you have of who you are and what you are? What is coming from you? The fact that God is in charge and you are following His directives? You have the ability to affect everyone you come in contact with. They will either see your good deeds and give praise to the Creator because of the distinctive spiritual joy sharing in the salvation of the Kingdom of God, --- ,or ----they will observe the proud, spiritually self-sufficient, you without the true carrying out of your God driven purpose. Friends. Family. Coworkers. Neighbors. They all react and are affected. Like it or not. You have a light shining from you. What is it? Are you or I any of those things that others can say, “I see the flicker of Jesus in you illuminating the dark world around me.”
So back to my story.
I WAS saving the world that night. Sitting in the passenger seat was an extremely scared, completely traumatized, 13 year old little girl, sobbing and very confused. This little girl had connected with this disgusting poor excuse for a man on some chat line. He seduced her with words, and he portrayed himself as being much younger than he was, coming across to this innocent girl as being no more than 18 years old. He was fully aware of her young age. She was not aware of his complete deception. The stranger picked her up, drove her to a secluded spot--and --as his intentions were just starting to be manifested, he gets hit with the bright white lights blasting from the front of the police cruiser, signaling our intentions. Those lights making known who we were, and what was about to happen next.
You are the light of the world. Let it shine before men that they may see.
Well, thank you for being here. If you would like to be a guest on this podcast, contact me at parallelproofpodcast@gmail.com. Subscribe, so you know when the next episode is out, and I will see you here next week.
