10-33 (Officer needs assistance!)

Not too long ago while on patrol i heard a call that sends chills through the veins of every officer who hears it.

While dealing with a minor vehicle incident (fender bender) i was sitting in the cruiser taking down information while the officer was talking with the two drivers when i heard another officer initiate a felony stop on a stolen car, i heard his tone of voice change and then he was cut off in mid sentence.

Dispatch: " 287........ 287 respond."

20 seconds later with no response, i run from the cruiser and grab the officer, and tell him to turn up his radio

Dispatch: *hits alert tones* "287 Respond"

about a half a minute passes...

Dispatch: *keys up the emergency tones causing the officer and i to both freeze* "all units all units 10-33... officer needs assistance at the intersection of wayne and montgomery... repeat all available units respond code 3, officer needs assistance"

At that moment the officer and i both told the drivers that their incident would have to be dealt with later and we sprinted back to the cruiser, jumped in and before our seatbelts were even on i had keyed up the siren and hit the lights as we burned rubber. We led a convoy of seven other law enforcement vehicles from three separate departments up the highway, hitting 135mph as we hustled to go assist a brother in need of help.

Despite us bouncing off of our speed limiter and leading the convoy of flashing lights we were still not the first unit to arrive on scene for the incident. What turned out had happened was that as the officer approached the vehicle, the much larger and stronger man in the car barged out of the drivers seat and tackled the officer before the officer could even react, as back up units arrived on scene they managed to drag him off the officer as the two were in the midst of a struggle for the officer's firearm in which the officer was starting to lose.

We rolled up on scene as the criminal was being stuffed into the back of a squad car, and we donned gloves to begin the search of the man's stolen car. There was not too much uncovered in the car aside from filthy clothes and numerous liquor bottles, both of which pointed to the man's state of mind.

All i can say is that that moment between the emergency tones going out and then the dispatcher announcing "officer needs assistance" were some of the worst i have ever experienced, for anyone who has heard those tones as a firefighter or a police officer it is something that with stick with you forever afterwards as it is a moment in which a friend and a brother in uniform is in serious trouble... it is a broadcast that sends ice and adrenaline firing through any officer, young or old, jaded or still gung-ho.

Song of the week: (i'm feeling a little country tonight so let's try this) Country Roads Take Me Home By John Denver