Today I was granted with a very special insight in the field of police work. In many of my classes I have learned about victims and types of crimes and reports and witnesses and being a good witness etc. I have spent many hours in classrooms learning about how to deal with incidents and process victims and crime scenes for evidence.
This is the incident report for today:
At approximately 5:15 am a man wearing a bandana over his face and carrying a gun walked into my coffee shop. I was in the back room checking a daily order against the manifest and did not see him enter. He motioned for my partners in the front of the store to get down on the ground and not look up. He then went to the back of the store and pointed the gun at me and said something to the effect of “I need you to open the safe.” I don’t know if I replied audibly or not, I can’t remember. I remember thinking “Dude. No way. I hope this guy does not shoot anybody today.” I went to the front of the store and set the time lock on the safe. At gunpoint, I was commanded to open the tills while waiting for the safe time lock. I opened all of the tills and emptied the cash into a bag as instructed. When the safe alarm went off, I opened the safe and added its contents to the bag. The man told me to get down on the floor and count to thirty before moving and left the store. When the man was out of my sight I dialed 911.
End Report.
Notable reflections that I did not include in the incident report:
I was working with two mothers and a young lady who has just been engaged. A regular customer walked in while I was being escorted out of the back and instructed to lay down on the ground at gunpoint. I am pretty sure he is a father. Nobody was hurt. Both my manager and district manager arrived shortly after the police did. The partner asset protection manager arrived about ten minutes after my two bosses. The three ladies involved and I are going to be paid while attending a group counseling session tomorrow. Our company is going to pay for further private counseling if we choose to get it.
End Notes.
I have always heard about how hard it is to be a good witness, and that is why video cameras and stuff like that are really important. Today I learned first-hand how hard it is. Of all the details I can recall from this morning, the one that over shadows the rest is the absolute shock that went through my body when I first saw that gun, then the person holding it. I have been trained at nearly very job I have held how to handle a robbery. According to all three of my bosses today, I handled it like I was the one that wrote the textbook. I guess that in spite of knowing how to handle a robbery, I have always spent a good day or so after every training session day-dreaming about pulling a Jackie Chan move and reversing the gun, some how preventing the crime and incapacitating the perpetrator. I always knew that would never be the case, but I also always thought I would never be the one getting robbed. One of my co-workers called me to see how I was doing and among other things told me about how some partners were saying that would have pulled some Jackie Chan. “That was what I always said too.” Is what I replied.
I didn’t call anybody who is reading this about today because I have not really even completely processed all of what happened today. I don’t know what I would say except that I am okay. To be honest I have not been that much of a talker today and “I am okay, thanks” is about all that anyone could really get out of me aside from what I put in the report.
I love my family. I love my wife. I enjoy living and learning and playing with my cats.
In an Old Testament bible study class I am taking this semester we talked about the story of how someone was telling some other people they need to repent and prepare for the day of the lord because it is coming soon and Israel will be destroyed. We talked about how the day of our lord is not necessarily the day Jesus will return to earth, but how perhaps it may be the day we die and meet our maker. The story goes on to talk about getting our affairs in order and what not because this day may be any day. There is a theory called “The Mack Truck Theory” that kind of says the same thing. This theory is about how you never know when “BLAM!” A Mack truck comes out of nowhere and you’re dead while on your way to check the mail. Today was kind of an object lesson for me in this theory. I didn’t really like it because although I am working on it, all my affairs are not in order.
I don’t know what else to say. Today was a strange, scary day. I hope tomorrow is different.
This is the incident report for today:
At approximately 5:15 am a man wearing a bandana over his face and carrying a gun walked into my coffee shop. I was in the back room checking a daily order against the manifest and did not see him enter. He motioned for my partners in the front of the store to get down on the ground and not look up. He then went to the back of the store and pointed the gun at me and said something to the effect of “I need you to open the safe.” I don’t know if I replied audibly or not, I can’t remember. I remember thinking “Dude. No way. I hope this guy does not shoot anybody today.” I went to the front of the store and set the time lock on the safe. At gunpoint, I was commanded to open the tills while waiting for the safe time lock. I opened all of the tills and emptied the cash into a bag as instructed. When the safe alarm went off, I opened the safe and added its contents to the bag. The man told me to get down on the floor and count to thirty before moving and left the store. When the man was out of my sight I dialed 911.
End Report.
Notable reflections that I did not include in the incident report:
I was working with two mothers and a young lady who has just been engaged. A regular customer walked in while I was being escorted out of the back and instructed to lay down on the ground at gunpoint. I am pretty sure he is a father. Nobody was hurt. Both my manager and district manager arrived shortly after the police did. The partner asset protection manager arrived about ten minutes after my two bosses. The three ladies involved and I are going to be paid while attending a group counseling session tomorrow. Our company is going to pay for further private counseling if we choose to get it.
End Notes.
I have always heard about how hard it is to be a good witness, and that is why video cameras and stuff like that are really important. Today I learned first-hand how hard it is. Of all the details I can recall from this morning, the one that over shadows the rest is the absolute shock that went through my body when I first saw that gun, then the person holding it. I have been trained at nearly very job I have held how to handle a robbery. According to all three of my bosses today, I handled it like I was the one that wrote the textbook. I guess that in spite of knowing how to handle a robbery, I have always spent a good day or so after every training session day-dreaming about pulling a Jackie Chan move and reversing the gun, some how preventing the crime and incapacitating the perpetrator. I always knew that would never be the case, but I also always thought I would never be the one getting robbed. One of my co-workers called me to see how I was doing and among other things told me about how some partners were saying that would have pulled some Jackie Chan. “That was what I always said too.” Is what I replied.
I didn’t call anybody who is reading this about today because I have not really even completely processed all of what happened today. I don’t know what I would say except that I am okay. To be honest I have not been that much of a talker today and “I am okay, thanks” is about all that anyone could really get out of me aside from what I put in the report.
I love my family. I love my wife. I enjoy living and learning and playing with my cats.
In an Old Testament bible study class I am taking this semester we talked about the story of how someone was telling some other people they need to repent and prepare for the day of the lord because it is coming soon and Israel will be destroyed. We talked about how the day of our lord is not necessarily the day Jesus will return to earth, but how perhaps it may be the day we die and meet our maker. The story goes on to talk about getting our affairs in order and what not because this day may be any day. There is a theory called “The Mack Truck Theory” that kind of says the same thing. This theory is about how you never know when “BLAM!” A Mack truck comes out of nowhere and you’re dead while on your way to check the mail. Today was kind of an object lesson for me in this theory. I didn’t really like it because although I am working on it, all my affairs are not in order.
I don’t know what else to say. Today was a strange, scary day. I hope tomorrow is different.
4 comments:
Wow Pete. I am really glad you are OK. It is interesting what you say about having your affairs in order. I feel like that is a constant process. Do you think anyone ever has it all together at one time? Maybe it is possible, I don't know.
Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudee, that is crazy! I'm so glad that you are ok. I would have been freaking out. I probably would have mouthed off and been shot in the head 2 times.
Pete, thanks for writing the textbook on how to handle a robbery. Thanks for no Jackie Chan. I know what you mean about your affairs in order. It's a good check for me to see if I am living the core values I know. Part of how I know is what I am doing. I love you and hope you have a speedy and thorough emotional recovery.
pete, you are one of my heroes :)
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