As we came into town from our isolated little neighborhood school, I heard sirens and turned my head to the right. A few blocks down, I saw a sheriff's SUV and a city police car - both with lights and sirens - turn down a neighborhood street. I wondered what exactly was going on because it's rare in our little city to see lights and hear sirens both on anything but a firetruck or ambulance. As I was halfway through that block, the lights of an oncoming police car caught my attention. He was also driving with his sirens on! I pulled to the side, just a few yards away from the next intersection, like any good law-abiding citizen would do.
At that intersection, the police man turned his car halfway across the road, essentially blocking traffic. Daughter 1 was screeching about living in a big city "but all you'll ever be is mean." (Really? What did this former boyfriend of Taylor's do to warrant such a sassy song?) Daughter 2 was still complaining that she couldn't hear the "real Taylor Swift" because her sister was too busy being too loud and that was just, well, mean!
It was in the midst of this sisterly squabble with sirens blaring that a junky little Ford Probe came sliding right up to the police cruiser.
Then, the police man jumped out (without his car in park!) and stationed himself behind the door of his slowly inching vehicle and drew his gun.
I pulled Daughter 1's ear bud out of her ear and told her to get in the back and for both girls to recline their seats. As Daughter 1, who had seen the weapon being trained on the Probe, was complying, Daughter 2 was telling her to stay up there because she didn't want to hear her mouthy singing any closer to her than she had to.
Then the second police car pulled up and that cop jumped out, drew his weapon and stationed himself behind his open car door. Holy Crap! We were in the middle of a Hill Street Blues episode! Because Daughter 1 was now out of Daughter 2's view, Daughter 2 was able to see the sheriff's SUV skid up to the scene and see the deputy jump from his car drawing his weapon from safely behind his door.
I looked in my rearview mirror to see if I could back the minivan right up outta there only to see Daughter 2 actually scurry across the back seat and into the storage compartment! (She's a quick one!)
The first copper got back in his vehicle and placed it in park just as a fourth law enforcement officer sped up and advanced on the scene with his gun drawn! Now, regardless of what the dude in the Probe did, he was absolutely no dummy because, with four weapons drawn and aimed at him and him alone, he threw his empty hands out of his open car window. The first officer, then grabbed the perp and threw him on the ground where the other cops converged on him and, I'm assuming, read him his rights and treated him with nothing but cautious respect. With the situation diffused, one of the 42 dozen officers who were now on the scene, moved the first patrol car out of traffics's way and motioned us on.
And, all of us in the minivan breathed a big ol' sigh of relief.
I gave Daughter 2 the all clear and she climbed back over the seat and into her spot beside her sister in the middle row.
"Momma?" She asked with a quiver in her voice. "What did the guy do?"
"I don't know, honey." I said in my best cool-as-a-clam tone.
"Well, it makes me think that they could go arrest Daddy."
"Umm...why would they arrest Daddy?" I asked, thinking that the stress of the situation may actually get a confession from her of something Daddy wasn't supposed to be doing.
"We never know what all Daddy does when he's out. What if they decide to just arrest him because they don't know what he's doing either!"
OK. How do I explain this?? "See, honey," I started, "Daddy, hopefully, doesn't do anything wrong. The man that we just saw probably did something wrong, like maybe he was speeding really fast or maybe he robbed a house or maybe that's not his car and he stole it."
"OH!" Daughter 2 said with an obvious relief in her voice that The Dad really had nothing to fear. A few moments passed and then she channelled any number of former Texas governors and said, "Then why didn't they just shoot the sucker?"
I think I may have given birth to a future Miami Vice squad member - as long as she can hide when the action gets too hot!
It is with the deepest admiration and appreciation that we honor our Law Enforcement officers this past week with National Police Appreciation Week. I know that Friday, when The Daughters and I were able to drive safely to our home, we were certainly full of respect for those peace keepers!!
