THE THIN BLUE LINE

“Stop the car!”  Officer Xavier yells as he opens the squad car door and begins to unholster his weapon.

“What’d you see?”  Officer Baker asks as he stops the car.

“That guy back there in the alley, he just tucked a gun in his waistband” replied Officer Xavier.

Suddenly the unmistakable sound of gunshots rings out…. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM…BOOM, BOOM, the back windshield of their squad car then shatters out.

“EMERGENCY” Officer Xavier yells into the radio as he and his partner dive behind the squad car for cover.

Officer Baker then begins yelling “Westside 13, Westside 13, EMERGENCY”

Lynda, the dispatcher, recognizes the urgency in their voices and orders all other units to stay off of the radio and then answers Officers Baker and Xavier.

“Westside 13 you have the air.”

“Westside 13, EMERGENCY!!.... Man with a gun ….” The radio clicks.

“Westside 13, we are being shot at.  My partner is in foot pursuit …20^th and Trumbull” the radio clicks.

Understanding their pleas for assistance, Lynda is heard on the radio dispatching all units available throughout the city “CODE 3, CODE 3, there is a CODE 3 at 20^th and Trumbull, any units available please respond.”

Lynda then calls out to Westside 13 for any updates, or descriptions.

“Westside 13.”

“Westside 13” Xavier answers as he can be heard over the radio running and breathing heavily.

“ He’s a male, black, about 23 years old, black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, just ducked between the houses in the gangway!!!”  The radio then goes quiet.

“…BOOM”

“Baker, take that side and cut your radio down so you don’t give yourself away,” Xavier whispers as he does the same.

For the two officers are now engaged in a deadly game of hide and seek, after having lost sight of the offender in the gangway.  Slowly, the two officers scan the area and inch deeper into the dark gangway.

“Baker, he is definitely close.  You can still smell the gunpowder” Xavier states.

“What was that noise? X, there was a noise over there” Officer Baker whispers to Xavier.

Quietly, they both listen.  Then they both hear it again, more faint than before but they hear it none the less.

Officer Baker whispers to Officer Xavier “you cover the gangway, I’ll check right there” as he inches closer to the shadow covered doorway.  An empty soda can moves, and Officer Baker shines his flashlight in that direction in a startled fashion.