The call came over “Serious domestic possible weapon involved.” I was on my own and just around the corner. “Further calls. Witness at scene now, woman stabbed offender still on premises ambulance called” said radio. Shit. Rules and instructions etc blah blah blah say you don’t go to things like that on your own. I called on to it “one out” ie on my own. “Closest back up 5 minutes away.” “Bullshit” I thought “there isn’t anywhere in the patrol that far away.” The address was residential, a commission area, houso estate, project whatever you want to call it.
I put the lights and sirens and drove quickly to the address, turning them off a hundred metres or so from the house. I had only just been issued the new Glock pistol. After 20 years of being used to the old Smith and Wessons in the crappy clamshell holsters, I found I couldn’t draw the new one as quickly. No such problem now.
The house was in the middle of a line of about 20, two level, brick, terrace houses. I was greeted with a woman lying on her back, half in half out the door, bleeding profusely. She was in shock not moving barely breathing. Another lady, a neighbour was lying next to her applying pressure on some of the bigger wounds, that lady’s husband was next to them protecting them as best he could. “Where is he?” He pointed and chocked out, “Kids.”
What do you do? Contain and negotiate? The man had just chopped his wife up and went back into the house to the kids.
Commission houses are small with nowhere to hide on the ground floor. Back up was still making its way, “It a bloody Sunday – move it!” I may have said that aloud. Going up stairs is always awkward in this instance, walking backwards gun pointing in the air but I got to the landing okay. Bathroom and three bedrooms was the usual configuration of these little boxes. I found the three kids in the first room, cowering under the covers of a bed and quietly got them out the back door so they didn’t have to step over their mother. I handed them over to neighbours who told me they had seen the father running away. I diverted the backup and then just for completeness cleared the rest of the house.
My ploy with the sirens had worked and the father had run away when he heard them, after he had herded the kids into the one room. I can only think the worst as to why the children had been collected there. Luckily people doing bad things nearly always know they are doing bad things and POQ when they hear the coppers coming.
The hubby got caught and eventually killed himself in gaol.
Oh yes, and it was Mother’s Day.
Holy crap that was full on!
I was talking to a mate in the infantry once and he reckoned the scariest thing he had to do was kick in doors, because you never knew what was on the other side.
That sounds equally as scary!
But shit loads of fun! 26 years and they had to force me out with injuries, but I still loved it … had a ball.
Hey Savo these are always a good read. Do they put these things (put the sirens on if you need to scare them off site) in manuals or do the old hands pass it on?
You learn about the sirens the first time you go to a pub brawl. The calls to pub brawls may come over urgent and lights and sirens are switched on but no one ever goes over the speed limit. Bastards are out on the booze without us, so they get what they deserve.