0115 hrs at the Detective Desk

Just got home from a long, interesting night. Capped it off by giving a statement at the town police department. Seems I foiled a robbery. Well, it wasn't a robbery until the suspect used force by assaulting me. Otherwise it was just shoplifting (lesson one - hope you're taking notes.)

I am fine. No injuries I think. My arm feels funny but it could just be the adrenaline amp that make me feel weird. He did smack me twice in the face and tried to slap the cellphone out of my hand.Now I have all the thoughts rushing in my head - "he could have really hurt me, what was I thinking. it's not my stuff, why did I confront him?" I don't think anyone really thinks of that at the time. So let's tell the story...

This guy walks up and asks about the TVs we had with the DVD players built in, so I tell him we moved them all to the front of the store. Even pointed them out. Cool, he says, and I go back to getting ready for the end of the shift. I look back over to the TVs and I see him pick one up and walk out the front door with it. Not run, just walk, like nothing was going on. Like paying for it was optional. And I admit for a moment or two I was dumbfounded. It was like in my head I was saying "did that guy just walk out the door with a TV? Sonofabitch! He did!"

And so I walked out after him. Again, not ran out but walked. This was all very surreal at the time. I remember muttering "what the fuck?" to myself as I walked out. So there's a car pulled up by the door and my first thought is note the plate number. I see this guy shoving the TV into the back of a two-door domestic car. There is a female driver behind the wheel. So I ask him if he's going to pay for the TV. I wonder if I really expected him to say "Oh yeah, I knew I forgot something..." Nope, not even close. Some nonsense comments that I'll not divulge. I suppose it could be funny, but it might be part of testimony later. Hell, maybe I shouldn't even tell this much detail...But I'll continue.

For whatever reason, I thought I should advise him I'd be calling 911, and presented my cellphone. Thereupon he tried to smack the phone from my hand and smack my face from my body. OK - that's when the "Oh Shit!" mode takes over and I decided it might be best to leave the area. but like a bad movie, I run into the store and into the front entrance doors - which are locked after 10pm. Thankfully he wasn't chasing me, and I was able to get help.

When we returned outside, the guy was seen running across the parking lot. The female had removed the TV from the car. All the rest is BS and stuff I'd rather not say to avoid maybe jeopardizing any part of the case. I would hope it all gets plead out and I don't have to testify, but I will if I need to.

Which brings me back to why did I do that? I guess you don't think, you just act on the type of person you are.I'd like to think I believe in doing what's right, that good should triumph over evil, that there may not be an immediate reward to every good action but you do it anyway. I have values that make me who I am and in times like this you realize what it's all aboutSome of you will say "what about your kids - you might have been shot, or blah blah blah..." True. but I think living the way I do transfers to them a set of ideas & ideals, an attitude towards life & people, and hopefully, a sense of wanting to always do the right thing.

Realizing that, and the fact that I could have been hurt also brings something else to mind - I miss my family. I miss being a family. I don't want to die leaving my family fractured. I want the chance to do the right thing. I want to be with my boys every day. I want to take care of them, take care of my family and grow old with them. I want the chance to share that love each and every day. I've learned from my mistakes, I've become a better person. I know what is important to me, and I know there is more than enough love in my heart for the rest of a lifetime.

Did my whole life flash before my eyes? I don't think so. I hope my whole life is ahead of me.