Shots Fired: Officer Down !

by Bobby Inman
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Officer James Hayes pulled his Patrol Vehicle to a stop at the old deserted Warehouse located on Sixth Avenue South. As he stepped from the vehicle, he remembered the incident yesterday where he recovered three FN 5.7 Pistols from a Street Gang Shooting that had left two innocent bystanders dead. Hayes had gotten a call from a confidential informant telling him to meet him at this warehouse. The informant had told him that he would give him all the information needed about where the FN 5.7 Pistols had come from.

Hayes walked to the warehouse door, finding it ajar. He pulled his Beretta Cougar .9mm from the Safariland 070 Duty Holster, as well as his Surefire flashlight. Hayes walked into the gloom that surrounded the area and the warehouse. As he stepped into the doorway, a shot rang out from the interior. The bullet struck Hayes in the right leg, making him fall.

Hayes returned fire, emptying the magazine in the Cougar. He conducted a magazine change, charging the Beretta with a fresh magazine. Hayes crawled to a crate, seeking cover and concealment. Just then, he heard several dogs barking. As he looked up, two Pit Bulldogs rounded the crate, charging towards him, biting him. Hayes fired five rounds into the first Pit. The dog dropped like the proverbial box of rocks. The second dog continued biting him in the leg.

Hayes fired two rounds into the head of the dog. The dog stepped back, falling to the ground. Hayes conducted a Tactical Magazine Change, changing the partially spent magazine for a full one. The shot dog snarled and got back to his feet. Hayes fired several times into the chest area of the dog. He hoped that the 147-Grain Federal Hydra Shok .9mm Ammunition would do its duty. His prayers were answered, and the dog fell. Hayes checked his legs. They looked like grated hamburger meat, where the Pit Bulls had bitten him.

He reached for the lapel mic. He shouted into the microphone “Shots fired! Officer Down!” Getting to his feet, he moved as quietly as he could through the Warehouse. His Beretta Cougar .9mm held firmly in his hand. He felt the leg wounds throbbing. Being shot and bitten has that effect. Hayes sat down behind a crate. Ejecting the magazine from the Beretta Cougar, he observed that he had one .9mm round left in the magazine. With the one in the Chamber, that left two

Hayes stood up, out of breath. When he reached his full height, a shot rang out, hitting him in the right shoulder. He fell to the floor, the Beretta Cougar sliding across the floor. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Pain flooded his body. He looked up and observed a shadow walking out from behind a crate. Through the hazy fog, he saw a white male standing over him.
Hayes started to inch his hand down to his pant leg, where a Smith & Wesson 642 .38 Special resided in a Galco Ankle Holster. The White Male saw the movement and raised a FN 5.7 Pistol. Hayes’ eyes registered the movement as the White Male fired five rounds of 5.7 x28mm Ammunition into Hayes’ Chest, killing him.

The smoke rose from the muzzle of the FN………..
Is the above from some Adventure novel or movie? Or is it real life? Actually it is from an Adventure novel but it could in fact be real life. This week is the National Law Enforcement Officer Week. This is the week where we honor the Officers that have given the Ultimate Sacrifice so that we may remain safe. What is the Ultimate Sacrifice? Usually their lives.
You have to remember that when an Officer falls it is not just him or her. Their family also suffers. Their children suffer. Their friends suffer. This Fallen Officer has given their life in the Line of Duty to protect someone, maybe even you. Respect is given at their funerals but the hurt never goes away for their family.
You have to remember that Officers work holidays, baseball games, anniversaries, birthdays, etc. They may not be able to get off for these special days. I have worked many Thanksgivings and Christmas Days. But it is not just the Officers that are missing out. Their families miss that part of them being there.
A Law Enforcement Career takes a toll on a lot of people. Of course the Officer themselves, but also, the Officer’s family including Spouses, Boyfriends, Girlfriends or Significant Others. I never knew it until I retired but I heard my Mother say to someone that she had never had a good night’s sleep during my whole career. She always feared that she would get that phone call during the night, where her Son had given the Ultimate Sacrifice. As I said, I never knew this until recently and now feel sorry for all those restless nights I caused her.
An Officer doesn’t choose this career to make money. It is one of the lowest paying careers. An Officer takes this job because they want to make a difference. They want to help people that cannot help themselves. They take this job with the knowledge that they may have to make the Ultimate Sacrifice.
So this week, if you see an Officer, thank them for their Service. Below are the Stats for the Officers killed so far in 2018. There have been too many taken away from us already.

Officer Down Memorial Page: 2018 Statistics

Total Line of Duty Deaths: 54
9/11 related illness 3
Assault 1
Automobile crash 13
Drowned 1
Gunfire 27
Gunfire (Accidental) 1
Heart attack 3
Struck by vehicle 2
Vehicle pursuit 1
Vehicular assault 2

Total Deaths by Month
January 8
February 13
March 13
April 14
May 6

Total Deaths by State
Alabama 2
Arizona 1
California 3
Colorado 2
Connecticut 1
Florida 5
Georgia 1
Illinois 1
Indiana 2
Kentucky 3
Louisiana 1
Maine 1
Maryland 1
Massachusetts 1
Michigan 2
Missouri 2
New Jersey 2
New York 3
North Carolina 2
Ohio 2
Oklahoma 1
Pennsylvania 3
Puerto Rico 2
South Carolina 3
Texas 4
U.S. Government 2
Washington 1

Total Deaths by Gender
Male 53
Female 1

Statistics
Average age 39
Average tour of duty 11 years, 7 months

Total K9 Line of Duty Deaths: 6
Accidental 1
Asphyxiation 1
Struck by vehicle 1
Training accident 1
Unidentified 1
Vehicular assault 1

Bobby Inman has retired twice from Law Enforcement after 21 years of Service. He is a Consultant for Southern Heritage Gun & Pawn in Tuscumbia. He has articles published in Law & Order Magazine, Police Marksman Magazine, Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement Magazine as well as several published ebooks on Amazon, Kobo Writing, as well as Nook (Barnes & Noble). He is owner of Poopiedog, an Animal Rescue Dachshund, who is his constant companion. He is a Senior Investigative Reporter for the Quad Cities Daily.

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