© Copyright 2002 by 45 Mike
When I lived near Tacoma Washington, I ended up being homeless for a while, about six months from December until June.
During that time I “lived” in an alley beside my jobsite, at “40” Rentals in Federal Way, WA.
I was rousted 3 separate times by someone trying to rummage through my belongings, at least twice I chased them off, and I was armed with my 15″ bayonet blade, I had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, and often did carry a Colt .380 as well.
Being in an area surrounded by houses, and street traffic, I did not feel comfortable poppin’ caps if I could avoid it, and whenever there is gunfire, the cops show up way too quickly. (or not near quickly enough, depending on which end of the barrel you happened to be.)
Pulling the blade was quiet, and impressed the hell out of at least 2 no-gooders.
Oh yeah, the 3rd time I was rousted?
That was the cops, it seems they decided to run a “rookie training scenario”, using ME as the experimental bad guy.
If someone had told me, I would have been happy to help them out, and probably could have been a lot more instructive.
Oh well, as it was, the “rookie” almost got a screwdriver stuck in him, before the other cop reminded him to look at my hands.
Anyways, I got handcuffed, (officer safety issues, and that rot, ya know), while the rookie played with my Colt, calling in the numbers on the radio, I watched the barrel during this time and noticed 4 SEPARATE instances that my weapon was inadvertently pointed directly at ME.
I called over the cop who looked to be in charge, of the six officers on scene. I asked him quietly if my weapon was safe, and as we both looked at the “rookie” the barrel once again came across me, and this time, the COP in charge, also was in line. The senior officer asked the rookie if he had checked that the weapon was safe.
I carried that Colt with a round in the pipe, 5 in the clip, hammer down, safety OFF!
I was sitting, cuffs behind, and watched as the “rookie” explained that yeah, he had the numbers back from the “radio” and the weapon was “safe”. The Senior guy sighed, and asked him if the gun is “loaded”? The rookie got a confused look on his face, and jacked the action back, which of course ejected a Winchester “Silvertip” onto the hood of his patrol car. Of course the slide is released, and smartly snicks another round from the clip, and chambers it!
Are you following the action here? I just ask that you imagine what it feels like to have that barrel now pointed AGAIN across your chest, and realize that the trigger is being controlled by someone who behaves in a confused fashion that pulling the slide back ejects a live round of ammo.
BUT NOW THE FUCKING HAMMER IS COCKED!!!
I was having some sorta nightmare, imagine watching the news and seeing King County trying to explain why some rookie cop shot a handcuffed citizen, with the legal handgun he had confiscated FROM that citizen, as the rookie clumsily jacked 5 more rounds onto the hood of his car. I still remember his look of proud accomplishment as he finally unloaded my weapon, rendering it “safe”.