One Time... At Explorer Camp.... TBC
Omigod, Explorers camp was frickin sweet (to quote a favorite dumbass). Camping with family was not.
Okay, I admit, I was a bit crabby when I got to Camp Misty Mount to spend the weekend with the Michaels, the Elenas, (and the Bonnies *cringe*). The fact that there were patrons under 15 just made things worse. If you guys didn't know it - I hate kids, and most teenagers. The fact that I didn't have my iPod made it even more unbearable. But, I survived.
At explorers camp I learned about several scenarios: burglary in progress, fatal car accident investigations, and hostage negotiations. We sat through powerpoint presentations in the morning and then did scenarios in the afternoon. None of my scenarios went over very well - not at all due to me, but rather to the teem of idiot boys that I was stuck with. And I have the stories to back that up:
Warning: The following stories are true. The names have been changed to protect the "innocent". ...They're not really innocent though...
Burglary in Progress (1 of 2):The first scenario was just four rooms, all on the right. One common room with a few sofas and a fridge/microwave. The hallway led to the right with a bathroom on the right of the hallway and a bedroom a little further down on the left. It ended in another bedroom. I was in a team of three, me and two boys (Mike and Jim) - we're supposed to have a team of four... already we're short one.
Nobody called for backup. (Mistake #1)
Dispatch informs us that there's a burglary/breaking and entering in progress and that we are to see the complaintant in person. Dispatch also informs us - after Mike asks - that there will be no K-9 or air support. We get to the homeowner, who is standing outside the door and we begin to question him as to the scene - the layout, (any weapons - I had to ask that one), what happened, anyone/thing living, any exits/back doors, etc. - and get his information. Typically if a team of police officers are searching an area/home, they will asign one man to be at the back of the search party to prevent being ambushed, watch the entrance and the witness. Jim decided to stay behind.
So now I'm down to two team members - Me and Mike. Still, no backup. We begin to search the rooms, entering the common room first, and Mike blows right past me! Dude - you've gotta clear a room before you can just leave!!! Now I have to stop covering his tail and search the common room - not that hard, just search the couches and the walls (shit, I should have checked under them - oh, no they were too low to the ground, never mind.), and it was quick but thorough work. I finished, just as he was reaching the bathroom. Mike glances over his shoulder at me and tells me to check the bathroom. - I do, while he checks the bedroom to the bathroom's left and encounters a suspect. I finish searching as I hear him giving commands to his suspect to come out, keeping his hands up (you guys know the classic line... don't you? - hopefully not), etc. I come up behind him, see that he's got his suspect on his(suspect's) knees at gunpoint, and isn't gonna try anything. I quickly but thoroughly check the last bedroom and then provide Mike his cover as he cuffs and searches the suspect.
Mike pulls the suspect to his feet and drops his gun in his pocket. (Mistake #2)
While we're walking the suspect out, a knife drops from his waistband. Mike had failed to search him completely - though his patdown was extensive. He just failed to search him all the way. (Mistake #3)
Thus the end of the scenario - turns out the homeowner and the suspect knew eachother... "Ya'll can sort that out at the station later, folks... this one's goin' with us."
Burglary In Progress (2 of 2):This one is where we really fucked up bad.... I mean bad. Same team of three, Me, Mike, and Jim. This scenario has six rooms, one common room that links three bedrooms on the left to one bathroom and one bedroom on the right.
Dispatch calls out a burglary/breaking and entering in progress and that we are supposed to go see the homeowner in person. No K-9 or air present, again - no surprise, we're supposed to be on our own. We go and see the homeowner and he informs us that he got home and opened the door to find some of the rooms he had closed open and vice versa. He heard people in his house and immediately called the police. Again, we question him as to the layout of the house, any living things/pets, anyone supposed to be in there, any weapons, any exits, etc. We collect the homeowner's info, and then we tell him to go see family/go to a neighbors house - (Mistake #1). We decide, on the information that he gave us, we will search all the open rooms first, and then take care of the closed doors - (Mistake #2 - though it seemed like a good idea at the time...)
We enter the "house", and we find only one of the doors of the five adjoining rooms were closed - the middle of the three bedrooms to the left. I cover the bed- and bathrooms to the right with my gun and hide behind a jut of drywall comming out. I don't know why I did that, since I was pretty visible from the two door ways and drywall only provides conceilment... oh well; someone had left the shower on, thus feeding my paranoia.
Jim and Mike search the two open bedrooms to my left, which I have my back on (Mistake #3?) and I hear that Jim has gotten a suspect, which Mike is providing cover for. The suspect is being cute - according to the dialogue of commands that Jim is giving him.
"Sir, come out with your hands up"
"Sir, drop the gun, and come out with your hands up"
"No, not one finger, your hands up"
"Your hands up"
"Both your hands up, sir"
"Sir, I will shoot you, come out with your hands up" (he can't really, but police make threats all the time)
"Sir, come out with your hands up"
"Sir, come out with your hands up"
"Get on the ground"
Mike comes out and taps me on the shoulder, telling me that we're clear and that I am to search the bathroom, again. Why did I get the freaking bathroom - I don't wanna meet the suspect in the shower! Oh well, I do as I'm told by my "team leader" and check the bathroom stall and shower - nobody, thank God. I say a quick prayer and go to help Mike, who's now moved on to the bedroom.
As he flips on the lightswitch, I see the muzzle of a RedGun - the guns we train with in scenario - follow him from under the bed. (Big Mistake #4 - like, dead mistake #4) I shout to drop the gun and for the suspect to come out with his hands clear. The suspect does as he's told, and for some reason, Mike collars him, even though he's my suspect.
So, If you've been keeping tally, there's only one room we haven't cleared yet. And both of my teammates are at their cruisers watching their suspects. So its just me and Mistake #1. I don't call for (Mistake #5 - I'm not perfect either.. I deserve blame too!) The cops observing the scenario tell me that I have to search it. As I go for the door, I open it carefully, and begin to slice the pie and observe slowly for any life forms beneath the bed and the closet, etc. Off. Screwdriver - refrence - comes up behind me and screams real loud in my ears "BE CAREFUL!". I jump three feet in the air and land unarmed on the sofa arm, chuckling while all the other officers laugh at me.
Oh, and by the way, nobody was at the back of the search party... (Mistake #6)
Fatal Car Accident Investigation (1 of 1): So now I'm in a team of four - Me, Mike again, Eric, and Tyrese. Just to hint to you, Eric has a bit of a social disorder - perhaps a form of autism? He also likes to take control of a situation, be the leader, etc. Along with talking your freaking ear off (I'm beginning to think he has asperger's, but I could be wrong), the guy has a tendancy to not know what the fuck he's doing.
So we get to the scene, and Eric immediately establishes in firm cement that he'll be "interrogating the witness" because he has tons of tons of experience in talking to witnesses, and that he'll be the best one for the job. The three of us agreed, mainly because we wanted to finish the scenario with our ears intact and the more Eric was away with the driver, who was the only witness at the scene, the less Eric we had to suffer through hearing. (Mistake #1)
So, now I'm down to a team of three. Fine. The first thing we're supposed to do is check for injuries. Nobody does that. (Mistake #2) So here's our victim bleeding out onto the asphault and we're just standing around, checking out the car. Our reasoning to that was the scenario was titled: "Fatal car accident investigation", so we figured the guy was already dead. Never make assumptions - (Mistake #3 - boy, we're really racking them up, aren't we!)
Team of three, okay. Next, we're supposed to take pictures of the virgin scene - before police mar it up with markings and such.