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Writer's pictureJohnathan Henderson

From Fried Chicken to a Hot Pursuit!

This Story is from the experience of Officer Floyd.


It was a summer day and I had 16 hours to work, starting with the day shift. I absolutely hate getting up early, but I had traded shifts with someone.


The day was pretty quiet until I was dispatched to a DOA (dead on arrival). It's always tough dealing with those type of calls. You have sit and watch a family grieve over losing a loved one and try to gather information from them regarding the deceased.


I stepped inside the residence and found a lady laying on her bed. She was not responsive. As I took in the scene, I began to think about how I need to cherish life as long as I am here.

Suddenly, I was approached by her boyfriend. I felt bad for him. Although he was in bad shape over the loss of his girlfriend, he wanted to engage in conversation. "I made sweet love to her the previous night and it was so good." I am looked at him and thought, "whoa playa". I gave him a confused stare. How was I supposed to respond? His deceased girlfriend was right there in front of us as he went into further detail. I quickly stopped him and said, “Sir, no further information is needed“.


I went outside wiping the sweat off my forehead. I looked to the east of the residence and stared at the chicken restaurant. I honestly think it stared back at me. All I could think about was a date with chicken gizzards, and completing this report. That would take me to the end of day shift. As I continued sitting in my police car next to the restaurant, I considered adding wings to the gizzards; what the hell, let’s make it a combo.


I continued to think about my chicken order while looking straight ahead of me I watched two young black men leaving the pawn store. I recognized one of the men from the previous night, his name was James. He looked like a member of the Taliban and was known for car jacking and robbing innocent people in the area. I had taken the official report for the car jacking the previous night. Someone told the victim that James took his car and provided the victim with James’ phone number. It just so happened that I was at that gas station when the victim called James. He told the victim to meet him at the gas station.


James had driven a white van to the gas station, but fled once he saw my police vehicle. I ended up recovering the victim's car in a garage where James’ van was parked blocking it.


Still hungry and sitting inside of my police car next to the chicken restaurant, I recalled the sick conversation with the deceased women’s boyfriend. Damn he spoiled my appetite!


Meanwhile, I saw James exit the pawn store with a younger black male. I see the van I towed the previous night parked on a side street. James walks towards it and has a gun in his back waistband. This changed my day! What the hell?! I went from daydreaming about a gizzard and chicken wing combo to seeing a man with a gun! I put my hands over my eyes and shook my head. Maybe my eyes were deceiving me due to hunger and I really didn't see a gun. I removed my damn hands and saw the gun again. He definitely had an extended magazine of the pistol.

James does not see me sitting across the street. I was parked next to the chicken restaurant near a tree where I couldn’t be seen. James and this kid hop into the white van and of course he’s the driver. James drives across the street, approaching my vehicle. I made eye contact with him and he nodded his head at me as a speaking gesture. I couldn't believe it! This bastard is armed and thought it was ok to say “Good Afternoon”! I turned my vehicle around and instantly James took off at a high rate of speed. He drove that busted white van like he was in a Grand Theft Auto video game. He continued to drive recklessly, passing vehicles in oncoming traffic. At one point, he entered the expressway going towards the big city. He rear ended an older couple driving a Honda Accord until they drove off the road. All I could think as I watched was "This MF is crazy!"


It was approximately 1:15pm, and traffic was kind of heavy but I chased James towards the big city. I couldn’t believe his trash van was actually dusting me. Then out of nowhere, I saw Officer Shane flying down the shoulder picking up dust to catch up with James. I couldn't even tell if it was a police vehicle because the dust made it invisible. Officer Shane pursued the vehicle into the big city where it subsequently crashed on a bridge and both of the guys fled the vehicle. At the time, I had that 4.5/40 speed...maybe 4.6... whatever. I apprehended the younger kid while James stood at the top of the bridge. It appeared as if James was timing a jump. Officer Shane, who can be a damn loose cannon, ordered James to the ground. There was about a 50 foot drop with gravel underneath. James turned to Officer Shane briefly and said, "fuck it!" Dude jumped off the bridge! It‘s mid afternoon and traffic was behind us watching this whole thing go down. I remember seeing every single face when James jumped.

Officer Miller was now on the scene and we locked eyes. We couldn't believe what the hell happened! Frantically, we began to peer over the bridge to see the damages. What we saw, you wouldn't believe. It was James! He got up, dusted himself off and started to crip walk before he began running north under the bridge.

Since James was a light complexion, he thought it was a good idea to stand alongside some tan bushes to try and blend in. A state trooper walked passed him and then stopped. Scratching his head, the trooper suddenly realized that there was a man, not part of the bushes! James was taken into custody Immediately. We located the 9MM with a 30 round extended magazine under the car. James had thrown it when he jumped off the bridge. After this adventure, I figured James had 8 lives left.


I saw James at the station; he did not have a bruise on his body, not even a limp. He looked at me and said, "Why didn't you just order your ckicken?" Even though I laughed, my stomach was still pissed off that I didn’t get my chicken and gizzards. LOL!!




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