Last Wednesday George had a day of running around from job to job, until he eventually settled on taking a statement for a street robbery. Actually it was not so much George but more his shiny new probationer, who was just two weeks out of training school. After a patiently exhausting three hours of coaching and guiding his colleague in obtaining a witness statement he decided that he needed something to drink.
They were due off duty in an hour and had to pass the 24 hour supermarket on the way back to the police station, so a quick visit to the store for a much-needed orange juice seemed appropriate and in order. Here was the first schoolboy error. As they walked into the foyer a member of the security staff approached them and advised them that they had just watched, via CCTV and covert staff, two 'ne'er do wells' walk into the rest rooms with a mobile phone held aloft their heads in order to circumnavigate the store alarm system. One of them was armed with a very long screwdriver as the mobile phone was held in a security case.
With a heavy heart George told the store security people that they would wait outside, in order for the suspects to complete the offence by walking outside the store without paying for the property. He also updated control and told them where he was in case things got hairy. After about five minutes the security guard approached him and told him that the pair had left the rest rooms without the phone and were now walking about the store. A member of staff had recovered the phone.
No problem, George briefed the probationer that he would be arresting one of the pair for attempted theft, going equipped to steal and causing criminal damage to the packaging on the phone. A few minutes later, the pair walked outside where George stopped the male and his probationer spoke to the female. The male was drunk but happy to be searched, George found a pair of pliers in his pocket and a bloody great screwdriver up his sleeve. He then told the probationer to say the magic words, which he did without any problems.
Then it went a bit wrong.
George’s man decided that being handcuffed was not on his agenda. He managed to get them on after a brief bit of pushing and shoving, eventually controlling the male by the bar in the middle of the handcuffs. This led to a bout of potty mouth from the male who called George, in no particular order and with random interjected expletives: a nazi, a fascist, gay, a pig, etc.
No problem, water off a duck’s back for George who told the prisoner to behave and stop being so naughty. Unfortunately as he was doing this, the man decided that he was now embarrassed at being nicked and tried to run into the car park with George still holding on to the handcuffs. A twist of the cuffs to apply a little bit of compliance pressure and he was stopped in his tracks but then he decided to turn and run at George, head down. George jumped on him, along with another unit that had arrived so there were three police officers on top of a fighting male with the general public strolling by. They eventually got him in Velcro limb restraint straps and called up for a caged van. The male was then taken into custody, with his trousers around his ankles, handcuffed to the rear and wearing limb restraints around his knees.
In custody the prisoner calmed down and requested a cup of water. As he gave him the drink it dawned on George that about an hour previously he had gone to the store for a drink, which he still hadn’t had. After all the paperwork was done they got off about four hours late, much to the dismay of George’s wife.
Next time, George will either find the smallest corner shop in town before going off duty, or take a bloody drink with him.