Always listen to the dog

This week I’d like to start with a narrative from the supervisor from an overnight shift last week that ends with very wise words:

“Officer Alan McComas assisted the Sheriff’s Office K-9 units on a track just outside our city. They narrowed down the suspect location to an abandoned mobile home. Just as they were about to enter and search the home, a genius sprinted through several yards nearby. He happened to match the suspect description.

“After a short foot pursuit, it was determined he had nothing to do with any criminal activity and had run through the yards as a short cut. The actual suspect was located in the home … we should have listened to the dog.”

Lost, but quickly found

Here is a call that is indicative of the wide variety and scope of incidents to which officers respond.

Officers were dispatched to a group home for a missing patient, who is insulin dependent and has some dementia.

While investigating this call, an officer monitoring the radio figured out this was the same man he had contacted earlier in the day, but he had not yet been reported as missing.

At that time, the man appeared coherent and told the officer he had separated from his wife and had nowhere to go. The officer had assisted him in finding shelter and getting him out of the cold.

The missing man was found exactly where the officer had taken him earlier, and was returned to the group home.

Put that thing back where it came from

Later in the week, a woman was reported trying to break into an apartment by beating on the door with a garden hoe that has a blade and three prongs. It was called into our department as a “burglary in progress” and it was first reported that the person was armed with an ax.

Later, the caller said the person had a gun. The officer wrote:

“BPD units arrived by foot and by vehicle and quickly located the female trying to leave the area by walking down the alley. The hoe was also located in the alley, and when the female was asked about the ownership of the hoe, she stated it belonged to that ‘B’ (you know the rest) Jessica.

“Jessica was not home at the time, and this appears to be an issue over a guy. The female had warrants and was taken to jail. The hoe was placed by the door.”

Solves that love triangle

There was another incident reflecting a lack of domestic tranquility when Officer Dana Clevenger took a call where there were three parties involved, one female and two males.

The first man said he had been in an on again/off again relationship with the female. That morning, he came over to the female’s house to “talk.”

The female came outside to talk, but did not want the first man inside her house. The man believed there was another man in the house. The suspect knocked on the door and man No. 2 opened the door.

Guess what? A fight ensued between the two men — but there is disagreement over who started the fight.

The female was asked in front of both men who was allowed inside the house. She reluctantly made a choice and the other man was told not to return and was trespassed from her house.

Dear Hero in Blue

As we wait and hope for good news on the officer shot in Mt. Vernon, I wanted to share this note.

Our officers were honored to be able to work patrol shifts and take calls in the city of Tacoma, to allow Tacoma officers to attend Officer Jake Gutierrez’ funeral recently.

When our officers got to the Tacoma headquarters building, there were meals waiting for them with the following note from a retired State Patrol Trooper who had brought in the food:

“Dear Hero in Blue,

“We want to thank you for sacrificing your time to attend to the Tacoma Community.

“You may have experienced the heartbreak and suffering of such a tragedy, or this might be your first experience. What you are doing for your fellow peacemakers is giving them the time to heal from the grief and agony of their fallen brother.

“Please accept this in memory of our fallen hero. Please Come Home Safe Tonight. Thank You Again.”