Serial Rapist

Last night, March 29, I was assigned to work the 10 o’clock or the midnight shift. My partner was supposed to be Officer Hixon. Yes, I said supposed to be. The reason behind that is that Officer Hixon never picked me up. Now, before you start assuming things and making judgments, Hixon didn’t forget me. He was sent home because of a shooting and suicide. My ride was put on hold and is now scheduled for next Thursday, April 5th.

I wasn’t supposed to come into the office today because of my late shift. However, since I didn’t go, I was on call. My call came at approximately 10am. I was to go into the office to help with a serial rapist case. I was debriefed around 1130 and started to follow leads and take calls around noon. With each phone call I received, I took a message ad then called Lt. Richardson, who informed the others.

With each new lead, I have more and more people to call. I started to become stressed; I was the only one left in the office. I had to complete ten detectives’ jobs to the best of my abilities and to do my own. It didn’t help that the twelve o’clock news broadcasted our suspect’s name, location, and charges. Everyone and their mother kept calling. Some people had decent leads, but others wanted more information that I wasn’t at liberty to discuss.

As 1300 came and went, the phone calls started to die down. Now the only officers, Marshals, DNA specialists, and my boss were calling. I slowly started to catch-up on my messages and notes. With each phone call, I kept hoping for an all clear, but with each passing minute, my hopes kept dwindling. Radio calls to other officer confirmed the fruitlessness of each new lead or interrogation. My boss kept calling in for back up, but I couldn’t send anyone. Everyone was out on the scene. He had to play hide and seek; he was going to sit in his car and wait. Then, we got a radio call and the day seemed to switch gears. One of our SVU officers thought she had spotted the suspect walking down Connecticut. Officer Peck decided to make contact. The man started running. Now, several officers were in on the chase.

This whole time, I am continuing to answer phone calls. I ca hear the officers yelling franticly over the radio to each other. They are afraid of losing the man. He keeps running in and out of houses and apartments. He was armed and dangerous. Even though I’m not there, my adrenaline was pumping-darn my blasted knee.

Then all of the sudden, the radio went dead silent. Did anyone have him apprehended? Where was the K-9 unit? Did we have a perimeter set up? Were people in the neighborhood informed of how dangerous this man was? How was Detective Peck doing? She is a very small woman-even her name was Half-pint. More and more questions went through my head. I still hadn’t heard from anyone.

Finally, a call came through. A perimeter was set. No one was allowed to enter or leave without his or her car being searched. The K-9 unit was on its way. It was now 1312, and the suspect just seemed to disappear. Then, someone said that she saw him jump a fence in her backyard. All officers were to 10-61 (back-up needed).

Once again, my boss called for back up. I told him people had to come off the perimeter, otherwise there would be no back up. He 10-4 (copied) and I sent two officers with Lt. Richardson. When an officer is chasing after an armed and dangerous suspect, it is protocol and mandatory that they have a back up. If they don’t the chance of them being seriously injured, even with a Kevlar vest, sky rockets. They also will get a suspension depending on the department. This man was not one to mess around with.

At 1334, he was spotted again. This time he was in the alley. Joplin Police Department were closing in on him. He ran and tried to hide under a building. A transport car was on scene. All looked good for us; terrible for the suspect. This case looked close to being closed. One officer radioed, “10-4 I’m going to be 10-15.” This meant he was going to apprehending the suspect. As soon as he called 10-15, the man would be on his way to Jasper County Sheriff’s Office detention center.

At approximately 1350 hours, our suspect was apprehend and placed behind bars. Not too bad; only a four-hour turn around. To some that might not sound very fast, but this wasn’t the TV shows people watch daily. This case was closed in record time. Now all that was left were filing charges, taking evidence, and informing Oklahoma and Texas that the suspect could be transported and detained there.