Tuesday, August 26, 2008

"Hot" Pursuit


Hot Pursuit
(rated E for everyone!)
You all know if you have been reading my stories for very long at all, that I seemed to do my best work at night. I really did love working the night shift except for getting tired about 5:00 a.m. and not sleeping very well during the day. Never did get the hang of that. Mostly because we worked two weeks of night, two weeks of afternoons and two weeks of mornings. THAT SUCKED. Rotating every two weeks was so hard on the body and sleeping habits. But so much stuff happens at night, so much of a different world exist out there for those of you that do not know that. It is so weird seeing this world in two different ways. Most people ...and I did say MOST....work during the day, pay their bills, have a life, and then sleep at night. Well then there is another world that sleep all day, play all night, are out drinking, up to no good, out doing crimes, and causing havoc among the rest of society. When your mommas told you Nothing good is going on after Midnight...she was right. There just is not much good going on after midnight for sure. And I loved it!!!! Car burglaries, in dark times, bar fights, late evenings after a few drinks have been consumed, domestics, same story, home from work, had a few beers and wham oh, the yelling and screaming begins. Oh yes, the life of after darkness is sure different than the other world.
I was patrolling late one night on the east side of town, where I loved working. More exciting things happen there, yes, the crime rate is higher on the east side than the west. I see a car speeding east bound on Broadway, I get turned around and take after it. It does not want to stop, so not only are my lights activated, but I turn on the siren. It still does not stop. I call out in pursuit but I have not gotten the tag number, not gotten close enough yet, when the car turns north on 16th. At 16th and Randolph the car stops. I call out with the vehicle and I am approaching the car. While I am making contact with the driver, and I don't even remember having a chance to get his license from him, a girl starts screaming from her front porch that her house is on fire. I turn to the sounds of her screaming and sure enough...her house IS on fire. All is a split second I tell her to get out of the house, call headquarters to send the fire department to my location for we have a house fire, and I yell at the driver to not go anywhere and to wait right there. I run to the house as the girl is screaming her family is in still inside, I yell at her to get out and wait for the fire trucks. I run inside and see the sofa is on fire. Her parents and some other people are still in there, I yell at them to get up and get out. The parents run to the kitchen and start grabbing things to pour water on the sofa. I do too. How stupid is that???? I tell them to get out and they won't leave. We keep pouring water on the sofa, the house is full of smoke, and you can hardly see at all. I make the people get out, I can hear the fire trucks coming, and there is no sense in staying in the house any longer. I ask them if everyone is out and they tell me yes.
The fire trucks get there and put the fire out, pull the sofa out of the house and start to fan the house out so the smoke will clear out. I look up and see my friend David M. from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol standing there at his car. ( I love when the Troopers show up!!!) I ask him why he didn't come and help. He said he did.....He tells me he learned from the years at the Volunteer Fire Department that you don't just go running into burning buildings. So he said I was here to see if you needed pulled out of the house. Thanks buddy. No problem he said. I looked up and looked around and guess what???? The car I was chasing....they left. Can you believe that? As I was inside risking my life doing something really pretty stupid, and they just leave. And I gave them a direct order NOT to. Of course the tag was not on file, I did not know who the driver was, so they got a freebie that night. And me?? Well I learned a valuable lesson, AGAIN....get people out of a burning house and don't stay inside. Let the firemen do THEIR job. Oh well. I loved my job!!

15 comments:

Expat No. 3699 said...

You, are a very brave woman! Thank goodness you were there at that time. What if the people in the house tried to put that fire out on their own and were taken over by the smoke?

Kudos to you.

Memaw's memories said...

You have had such an exciting life. Police folks always have the best stories.

Brave or Dumb, that is the question. I'd say brave, but evidently your friend thought dumb.

Kim @ Homesteader's Heart said...

You know, the nerve of some people. I can't believe that car would just up and leave like that. LOL! NOT! I love your stories you know why? Because I know that you come out okay in the end. Blessings to you my friend.

Marge said...

I was so hoping that the dude you pulled over would wait for you to finish being stupid inside that flaming house! I guess one could say you were stupidly brave. What stories you must tell when you're together with your cop friends! Would make for good campfire conversation.......you need to join us one weekend!

Michelle said...

Great Job!!! I love to read these stories. You do it in such a way that I feel like I am right there in the story.

And the nerve of those guys! How did they know that you did not have their information? And then what trouble would they have been in?

Unknown said...

That is a lot of excitement for one night! You are brave!

Maybe the guys that took off will read your blog, feel convicted, and turn themselves in now...yeah, right! :)

Mental P Mama said...

That is great! I actually expected you to say the guy was still there waiting for you!

Beth said...

What a great career to have had. The memories and friends you have must have made throughout those years... Wonderful.

(And what... with your background.. you don't believe my post was so random? ;-)See you are smart too.)

rebecca said...

Wow, I never got quite that crazy of a story working nights.

I saw your comment on Stop and Smell the Chocolates and I think the missing ingredient is probably Borax. Its a natural whitener. The only brand I have ever seen is 20 Mule Team Borax and its not carried everywhere. I have found it at 2 of the grocery stores in town, but not at Target or Walmart. So it may take a little looking, but that stuff is great for whitening clothes. We use it on baby clothes and cloth diapers. If it can take out poo stains it must be doing its job.

Tonjia said...

Lisa, only those who work night shifts know what goes on late at night. And as a seasoned night shifter I know! LOL we are a special breed, not too many things phase us, does it?

this is where I would give you a high five and say WE ROCK! LOL

I worked day shift for about a year, and realized just how freaking boring it really was. it just isnt me.

anyway, thank goodness you got those people out of the house! they may have tried to stay and fight the fire and been injured or worse. you did a great job!

as for the guy your were chasing, I'll bet he got nailed by someone else later on. Criminals who run from the law just cant stay out of trouble.

Joni said...

That guy you were chasing sure caught a break...imagine his side of the story...but what comes around goes around...he probably got caught later for doing something else...

I enjoy your police stories, always lots of interesting stuff...and yes, I think you are a very brave lady!

thank you most genuinely for the kind comment you left on my blog...I thought that was just extra sweet ~

Marge said...

Hey lady, it's Thursday and you last blogged on Tuesday! What's up? Rocking that baby too much? Hope all is well......

Debbie said...

This was serious stuff, but I found myself laughing at you silly woman! What were you thinking? Your trooper friend was thinking right when he came to save you LOL!

I loved this story and cannot imagine why the guy in the car didn't listen to you? Ha Ha Ha!!!

Amy said...

I think you would get along great with John! Also, are troopers the same everywhere? he he he

Michelle said...

And you rub it in!! Not nice.

She liked Dairy Queen too. Today it was a smoothy at Sonic. Am I feeding her healthy or what?

Well, they have 4th of July. They just don't celebrate it. Bwaaahaaahaaa

Seriously, someone asked that.

Will see about posting that information. Homesickness is better. Skype w/boyfriend on Sundays now. School is going. Some difficulties with what some things are. Like what is a settler or a grange and why can't one state tell another what to do. Just the usual.