Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Often times, you never get to hear the officer’s side of the story. Well my hopes are to help you understand what goes through our heads when we are working a case and sometimes have to solve them on our own. Yes we have detectives that come out to the scene to assist but sometimes things are time sensitive and we as officers have to take action and fast.

Ever been on the scene of a fire?

How do you think you would react even with the training and knowledge of what to do ?

Well I can tell you, I truly appreciate my brothers in RED because they are truly HEROS! Running into burring building with no regards for their own lives. They have to continuously pick up heavy materials and with stand dangerous temperatures on a daily.

This is just a snippet of what happened to me on the scene of a fire.

I arrive on the scene not knowing what to expect. Often times when we are called out for SFD related calls, it to assist in keeping the crowd back or family under control. Well little did. I know, I would be in the mix. 

As I get out of my marked patrol unit, I see a home that is fully engulfed in flames. Smoke as thick as cake batter and people standing around with their phone out videotaping. My first priority is to make sure the citizens of my city are safe. I begin asking everyone to step back a few feet to allow for my counterparts to begin doing their jobs. Everyone was very understanding of my request. 

As I start to examine the scene, I notice there was yet another fire only three homes down the street. I quickly call dispatch to inform her to send more units. Then I notice a fireman, all alone trying to do his very best to get a hose from the truck to the other end of the block, approximately 300 feet. He looks at me and I look at him. “How can I assist.” I grabbed hold of the heavy, and I do mean heavy metal part of the hoes and began running towards the hydrant. Little did I know 300 feet feels like 300 miles when you have never done something of the sort before in your life. 

As approach the hydrant, a female fireman or is it appropriate to say firewoman got out of another truck that just pulled on the scene and grabbed the metal piece out of my hand. We began pulling the hose further and further to get it to the final destination. As we are also there, the hose gets stuck under neither the tire of the fire engine and we both stubble and she falls to the ground. Do you think that stopped her? Not one bit. She got back up and continued to pull until we have enough slack in the hoes to get it to the hydrant. By then another officer arrives and begins helping pull the hoes with us. WE GET IT DONE!!

As the firewoman begins to take apart the hydrant trees and limbs are all in her way. Myself and the other officer began stomping on the limbs, breaking the swigs, anything to assist her in getting the hydrant apart and function to help get the fire out as fast as we can. After approximately 2 to 3 minutes of twisting and turning, the hydrant came apart and the water began to flow. 

Blood pumping,  still going, I felt like I could lift a car. Did I try, ummmmm nah! 

I can say that this was the highlight of the week for me. Getting down and dirty with the fireman. Helping one another out on a level that I've never seen before. I even have a few war wounds to prove it! Thank you to SFD for the quick reaction and hard work you do for our city. Lives were saved today! 

One Year in the BLUE!

FEBRUARY 23, 2018 started my journey as a member of the Shreveport Police Department. Walking into a room with approximately 34 other individuals was terrifying yet exciting. So many new faces and then to realize I actually knew a few of them made the nerves and anxiety stop. “I won’t be taking this journey alone”, i said in my head.

In front of us were a group of recruiters who showed us a video of what could possibly occur while we are in the academy and what to expect once we are sworn in and have the honor to wear that Shreveport Police Badge. As we watched, I looked around and saw the faces of my fellow peers. Their expressions were that of "Lord what am I getting my self into” and/or “Finally my day has come”. For me, I honestly can’t grasp what this next 16 weeks of my life will be like. Will it be like the 7 weeks I spent at Military Basic Training? Will it be better? Will I gain life long friends like i did then? Will I hate every last one fo these people sitting next to me? Why is this guy raising his hand and the video hasn’t even ended yet? This is only the beginning.

Day One at the Academy!

You haven’t had Physical Training until you have met Sgt. H. His PT is like preparing for war. Have you seen 300 about the spartans? Think of all the blood, sweat and yes so many tears. NOW multiply that by 10. You may be laughing now but trust and believe we were not laughing then.

When I tell you i felt like the GREEK GODS were having an all out war on this day. We were standing outside, in the cold might i add, in thigh high shorts and a bright yellow t-shit. All of a sudden, the sky just starts to fall. Just as it does, we hear SGT. H. say, “ Let’s Get Loose”. Im thinking, we bout to get our muscles wam and then do some light exercising and then go home. HAHAHA, was I wrong. Wrong In Deed.

One lap. Two lap. Three lap. Four. Then we hear get in the grass. In my mind, since ya’ll know like hell i’m a pretty boy, ain’t no mud getting on these knew shoes. THINK AGAIN. Next we hear, “On your face, on your back, on your stomach, on your feet.” We did this over, and over, and over, and over, and over agin until everyones yellow t-shirt was black, brown, green, and even red. Next was the bear crawl in 4 inches of mud. Again I say, “Who?” BUT I cant show them any weakness, if I learned anything from BMT is as soon as you show them your weakness you will be singled out from the rest of the time. Not me satan. I want to be the one they have to ask me what’s my name 5 weeks from now. But through the rain, thunder, mud and tears, all my peers made it through that day. Well all but two. They rang that BYE BYE BELL so quick you would have thought we had speed racers out there with us.

The next, 16 weeks was no easier. From the book work, to hands on training, to more of the “Let’s Get Loose” moments, people were dropping like flies. We motivated one another and pushed each other across that blue line that we grew to hate because anytime you heard, “Blue Line” your stomach would drop, your heart would start beating fast and your knees would some how just go numbs. “What did we do now?”

One of my favorite parts in the academy was actually learning how to shoot my firearm. I had shot multiple varieties of firearms in the past, but actually zoning in and hitting my target was what made it fun for me. When I tell you, we went through at least 10,000 rounds a piece during the academy that may just be an understatement. As time grew on, I could also hear SGT. H. saying if you think you are perfect at the 7 yard line then just wait until you get to the 25 yard like. “You suck at the 7 yard like too but now it just evident you suck at the 25.” “ONE, ONE, ONE, BOOOOM, scare the shit out of you.”

As time grew on we all as a class ( Class 78) became not just classmates but family. There is nothing we wouldn’t do for each other. When i had my first wreck on my way to the academy, all my classmates were so worried and would check on me throughout the day because even though I had a smile on my face, they could see in my eyes I was going through a storm. Many offered to pick me up and drop me off places. Others offered to assist and any other ways possible. That is was a FAMILY does. We may not have all liked each other, but lets someone else treat us like crap and all hell would break loose.

Week 14 - 15 comes and its time. Time to take the biggest test of our academy journey. The Louisiana Post Test. Lord be with us all. When a man from the state walks in and starts to explain how it goes and what will occur if you fail it. In my mind, FAIL, aint no FAIL bih!!! Needless to say YA boy passed. Now on to my first days out on the street with my badge on chest and gun in hand, well not in hand but you know what I mean. (Clarification: In holster).

My first Police Training Officer aka PTO was this down to earth and countryfied young man, I still called him old though. He gone get me if he reads this. From what everyone was telling me about him, It was going to be the worst 4 weeks of my life. “You gonna be doing some work.” “You gonna be jumping out on so many people and getting so many drugs it’s unbelievable”. But it actually was some of the most fun I have had in so long. He taught me more about myself and how strong mentally I really am. I was able to learn the streets in the area, where to go if I needed to get someone where quickly, and even better, I learn the laws and their codes that I would end up having to use on a daily basis. Me and PJ fussed and fought on a daily basis but it was all love. At the end of the day, i KNEW he had my back and I had his. My first foot chase was one to remember. I was scared for my life but confident in my abilities to where if anything was to happen I would be able to instantly retain the information and regurgitate it immediately.

Here is the scenario.

Its approximately 1900 hours, well 7:00pm for those who are unaware of military time and we see this guy walking in the center of the street. For those of you who don’t know, walking in the street when there are sidewalks provided is against the law and is probable cause for an officer to stop you. Well, we weren’t going to stop and cause a scene but just tell the individual that he was breaking a law and how to fix it. The first words that came from his mouth were, “Please not today” and “I just wanna go home”. So we stated, man you not in trouble man just listen to us for a second, mind you we are still sitting in the patrol unit. Well, then I opened the door and the suspect takes off running like a bat out of hell. “SHIT” is all I can say. I warned him to stop and stated multiple times I was a police officer and needed him to stop running. Welp, that ain’t work. We ran for 5-6 blocks, through a dark park and over multiple hills. When I final was able to get into arms reach, the suspects turns towards me with his hands in his pockets and starts to draw something from his pockets, in my mind, “Family I love ya’ll, and don’t cry for me.” I draw my taser to not exceed the need of force and proceed to use my skills to subdue the suspect. Adrenaline pump and dumping, body giving out, and mind racing a mile a minute, I couldn’t do anything but stand there hoping someone was on the way because I had no more fight left in me. I turn and see PJ on my tail and he helps me handcuffs the suspect. Then 10 seconds later there were 5 other units there to assist me. I am forever grateful for those individuals who showed up to help me because who knows where I would be today without my backup.

This is just one of the calls that my heart was beating out of my chest and one I will never forget.

People tend to forget that behind this badge we have a heart. We have a family to go home to. We have a life to live. I am not here to make your life a living hell. Im here to make sure you and you family are safe. There have been times when I show up on scene and people instantly start yelling at me asking me to do this and do that and why am I here, etc. Well my only response can and will be, “I was called to this residence. I didn’t wake up this morning and say, hmmmm let me go over “lil pookie” house and bother him today.”

I have been called every name but the child of God. I have been pushed, cursed out, threatened, harassed on social media, and more. All I can say is, when I put this badge on my chest and stated, My mission is to provide outstanding police services, in partnership with community…… I meant just that. I am here to do a job. I will protect and serve the people of Shreveport, Louisiana. When I arrest someone, the last thing I tell them before I leave them is, “Let’s do our best to stay out of here and and out of the situations that caused us to be in the place” and i truly mean it. I am not the judge or the jury. I can’t tell you if you were guilty or not guilty. That is not by job. When you lay your head down at night and close your eyes, you will have to be judge by a higher power at the end of the day.

Over all, my first year as a police officers has been filled with learning experience and hard times, but i wouldn’t change them for nothing. Shreveport has shown me a whole different side of them than I would have every thought I could or would see. The news has made small little offenses seem like world war three and cause the city to believe that Shreveport is the most danger place in the world. (SHIIIIIIIDDDD) I work hand and hand with these people on a daily basis. I get to see there living situations that many of these children have to live in. If I could physically or monetarily do more to help I would. People are living in homes with out any running water or electricity. Children are only eating when they are at school. Some don’t or cant eat at all. Parents are mistreating their own flesh and blood. Some days I am just called out to be a counselor or a friend to just listen. I definitely don’t mind that at all. I’ve been there and wore the t-shirt.

I pray for all my fellow family members in blue and the citizens of Shreveport. Be safe and remember keep God first in your life and everything else will surely come to past.

The Messages in this blog are mine and mine alone. Shreveport Police Department has nothing to do with the remarks in this message.**