911 WHATs THE NATURE OF YOUR EMERGENCY
“Sergeant, I need you to tell me what happened this morning.”
####
“Well sir, I looked at my watch, at 0900, I’m glad I installed my new radar detector. I’ve been on the road for twenty-two hours now, that’s over sixteen-hundred miles, I must be averaging over seventy mph, haven’t seen a single cop.
“I looked in the rear-view mirror and pushed the detector’s reset button, still no cops, great. I was starting to get tired and took another pill, and shot of an energy drink. I tossed the can on top of the empty beer cans. That must be six of each I’ve had since I left Ft. Hood.
“I’ve gotta get home to Hayward as soon as possible. As I came around a bend I saw five soldiers laying in the right lane of the highway. A sixth was laying in both lanes with my right front tire headed toward his head.
The speedometer, pegged at one-hundred-thirty-five; I swerved onto the shoulder to miss him. When I looked back but couldn’t see anything.
Can’t stop now I thought, but I gotta do something. I pushed the blue tooth button on my steering wheel and said, “911.” Almost immediately, an operator came on the line.
“911, what’s the nature of your emergency?”
“I’d like to report six bodies lying on northbound 101 just past the Camp Roberts Rest Stop near Bradley, CA.” I said.
“Yes sir, I have officers enroute, are any injured, will an ambulance be required?”
“Don’t know, don’t have time to stop.”
“Sir,California has a Good Samaritan law, you can’t be held liable if someone dies while you’re rendering assistance, go back and give assistance until the officers arrive.”
“No,”I replied, “I can’t, by the time I get back there the officers will be there.”
“Sir,”the firm, calm voice of the dispatcher said, “you may be the only person who can answer questions, I insist that you return.”
“I told you before, I can’t, good bye.” As I started to cut her off the dispatcher called out, “sir, the officers have just arrived and don’t see any bodies on the road, could you describe them for me?”
“Listen lady, I was going very fast, I saw them for a fleeting moment. The only thing I remember is they all had army physical fitness uniforms on.”
“Sir, we dispatched a helicopter with the patrol cars, while the pilot was enroute to the scene he noticed a blue corvette moving at a high rate of speed. Would that be your vehicle, he says right now that vehicle is almost to King City.”
“Yeah, that’s me, so you see I’ve gone too far and can’t go back.”
“Sir, we’ve gone past that now, we received a notice from Texas to be on the lookout for a blue corvette, seems you’re a person of interest in a killing of six soldiers on Ft Hood yesterday morning.”
“Don’t know anything about that; the only soldiers I had a problem with were my company commander and first sergeant.”
“At that point I came around a corner and there was a road block across the highway. I slammed on the breaks and turned the wheel sharply; lost control of the car and flipped it. Doctor Smith says I broke both legs, and have a potential concussion. Look the pain’s becoming unbearable, can we quit for today? That’s all I have to say officer.”
Sergeant Billings pulled out a fax from a folder, “it says here that you are Sergeant Jeremy Evans, you were assigned to an infantry unit at Ft. Hood, TX. It seems Captain Clemson, your company commander, and First Sergeant Peterson gave you an article fifteen and confined you to the base and you were assigned staff duty during the holidays. Is that true?”
“You don’t understand, my girl friend’s having our first baby and I have to be there.”
Billings shook his head, “that doesn’t matter. You’re AWOL from Ft. Hood, a vehicle matching your blue corvette struck a formation of six soldiers on Ft. Hood two days ago. What do you say about that?”
“You don’t understand anymore than they did, I have to be there for Cindy.”
“Look son, I’m a former Marine, because you went AWOL someone else had to take your place, is that fair to them? You’re the one who had the article fifteen; you have to pay the price for your crime.”
Jeremy tried to raise himself and fell back onto the sheets, “they let others get away with missing formation and they give me an article fifteen, where’s the justice in that? I had to go; Cindy’s my only priority now.”
Just then the door opened, a King City Policeman handed Billings a sheet of paper, Billings read it and looked at Jeremy. “Just received a fax from Hayward PD, they tested the DNA sample we sent them. It’s a match for blood found at Cindy Harrison’s apartment the night she was murdered.”
Billings stood up, pulled handcuffs from his belt, and said: “Sergeant Jeremy Evans, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense. Do you understand?”
Then he picked up Jeremy’s left wrist and fastened the cuffs.
Jeremy was surprised, “What? I’ve cooperated with you.”
“I’m arresting you for the murder of Cindy Harrison and her unborn child three years ago.” Then he turned to the King City Policeman and whispered, “We need to have a suicide watch, I can see the signs.”
Officer Pholman, nodded,“yes I agree.”
When Billings left Pholman checked the handcuffs and sat on the chair outside the door.
Jeremy looked around the room, what can I do? Then he looked overhead, that’s it!
Then with all his strength, he reached up to the IV bag with the morphine drip. He grabbed the knob and opened the drip so the drug flowed as fast as possible, he lay back down and looked at the officer still reading his magazine, good, I should be gone soon.
All of a sudden, alarms went off, nurses came in with the crash cart and prepared to use the defibrillator. Dr. Marsten rushed in and said,
“It’s too late, we lost him.”
####
“Well sir, I looked at my watch, at 0900, I’m glad I installed my new radar detector. I’ve been on the road for twenty-two hours now, that’s over sixteen-hundred miles, I must be averaging over seventy mph, haven’t seen a single cop.
“I looked in the rear-view mirror and pushed the detector’s reset button, still no cops, great. I was starting to get tired and took another pill, and shot of an energy drink. I tossed the can on top of the empty beer cans. That must be six of each I’ve had since I left Ft. Hood.
“I’ve gotta get home to Hayward as soon as possible. As I came around a bend I saw five soldiers laying in the right lane of the highway. A sixth was laying in both lanes with my right front tire headed toward his head.
The speedometer, pegged at one-hundred-thirty-five; I swerved onto the shoulder to miss him. When I looked back but couldn’t see anything.
Can’t stop now I thought, but I gotta do something. I pushed the blue tooth button on my steering wheel and said, “911.” Almost immediately, an operator came on the line.
“911, what’s the nature of your emergency?”
“I’d like to report six bodies lying on northbound 101 just past the Camp Roberts Rest Stop near Bradley, CA.” I said.
“Yes sir, I have officers enroute, are any injured, will an ambulance be required?”
“Don’t know, don’t have time to stop.”
“Sir,California has a Good Samaritan law, you can’t be held liable if someone dies while you’re rendering assistance, go back and give assistance until the officers arrive.”
“No,”I replied, “I can’t, by the time I get back there the officers will be there.”
“Sir,”the firm, calm voice of the dispatcher said, “you may be the only person who can answer questions, I insist that you return.”
“I told you before, I can’t, good bye.” As I started to cut her off the dispatcher called out, “sir, the officers have just arrived and don’t see any bodies on the road, could you describe them for me?”
“Listen lady, I was going very fast, I saw them for a fleeting moment. The only thing I remember is they all had army physical fitness uniforms on.”
“Sir, we dispatched a helicopter with the patrol cars, while the pilot was enroute to the scene he noticed a blue corvette moving at a high rate of speed. Would that be your vehicle, he says right now that vehicle is almost to King City.”
“Yeah, that’s me, so you see I’ve gone too far and can’t go back.”
“Sir, we’ve gone past that now, we received a notice from Texas to be on the lookout for a blue corvette, seems you’re a person of interest in a killing of six soldiers on Ft Hood yesterday morning.”
“Don’t know anything about that; the only soldiers I had a problem with were my company commander and first sergeant.”
“At that point I came around a corner and there was a road block across the highway. I slammed on the breaks and turned the wheel sharply; lost control of the car and flipped it. Doctor Smith says I broke both legs, and have a potential concussion. Look the pain’s becoming unbearable, can we quit for today? That’s all I have to say officer.”
Sergeant Billings pulled out a fax from a folder, “it says here that you are Sergeant Jeremy Evans, you were assigned to an infantry unit at Ft. Hood, TX. It seems Captain Clemson, your company commander, and First Sergeant Peterson gave you an article fifteen and confined you to the base and you were assigned staff duty during the holidays. Is that true?”
“You don’t understand, my girl friend’s having our first baby and I have to be there.”
Billings shook his head, “that doesn’t matter. You’re AWOL from Ft. Hood, a vehicle matching your blue corvette struck a formation of six soldiers on Ft. Hood two days ago. What do you say about that?”
“You don’t understand anymore than they did, I have to be there for Cindy.”
“Look son, I’m a former Marine, because you went AWOL someone else had to take your place, is that fair to them? You’re the one who had the article fifteen; you have to pay the price for your crime.”
Jeremy tried to raise himself and fell back onto the sheets, “they let others get away with missing formation and they give me an article fifteen, where’s the justice in that? I had to go; Cindy’s my only priority now.”
Just then the door opened, a King City Policeman handed Billings a sheet of paper, Billings read it and looked at Jeremy. “Just received a fax from Hayward PD, they tested the DNA sample we sent them. It’s a match for blood found at Cindy Harrison’s apartment the night she was murdered.”
Billings stood up, pulled handcuffs from his belt, and said: “Sergeant Jeremy Evans, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense. Do you understand?”
Then he picked up Jeremy’s left wrist and fastened the cuffs.
Jeremy was surprised, “What? I’ve cooperated with you.”
“I’m arresting you for the murder of Cindy Harrison and her unborn child three years ago.” Then he turned to the King City Policeman and whispered, “We need to have a suicide watch, I can see the signs.”
Officer Pholman, nodded,“yes I agree.”
When Billings left Pholman checked the handcuffs and sat on the chair outside the door.
Jeremy looked around the room, what can I do? Then he looked overhead, that’s it!
Then with all his strength, he reached up to the IV bag with the morphine drip. He grabbed the knob and opened the drip so the drug flowed as fast as possible, he lay back down and looked at the officer still reading his magazine, good, I should be gone soon.
All of a sudden, alarms went off, nurses came in with the crash cart and prepared to use the defibrillator. Dr. Marsten rushed in and said,
“It’s too late, we lost him.”
