Um...That Got Intense...Quickly

In the crime beat, things get intense. Quick. So that's obviously on my mind when I out at scenes or even doing interviews with people involved. It has to be, if I ever neglect that, it could get ugly.

Mom, if you're reading. Stop now.

Case in point, on Tuesday I had to handle a story where CPS took kids away from a family...As you can imagine, the last thing the family wants to see is me, with a camera aimed at them. So naturally I do my best to be respectful of what they're going through but also do my job to report the scene to you, at home.

So let's fast forward to late Tuesday evening. I've spoken with neighbors nearby who express their concern over the condition of the house and the kids. Although, to be fair I have to go and give the family a chance to speak for themselves. So I take our AP, Marchita, to point the camera on me, because I just have a hunch that they probably won't comment. In fact, I'm expecting a door to be slammed in my face. Well that happened...and more!

I knock on the door, and the family inside yells, "Who is it!?" I respond telling them I was with the news, I then hear them tell me to go away. I get it..I actually anticipated it. Before I could leave the porch a door is opened only to be slammed. "Good. You've made your point," I thought.

So I turn to leave, when I hear a lot of talk behind the door, where I hear something along the lines of "No. I'm gonna say something.." So, I paused to see if they did, then I asked, "Is there something you want to say?"

Oops.

I then hear, "That's it!" Followed by a "No, don't do it!"

Side note: Not what you want to hear when people are already yelling at you through a door. It was at that point that my mind and Marchita's quickly thought, "Look out for a weapon!"

So, back to the show, the door swings wide open and it felt like four (I didn't think to count them out) men burst out of the home and onto the porch just a few feet from me. One bolts past me, towards Marchita. Now, I'm an older brother, I have what I like to call the "Herd dog" instinct and that is to protect everyone around me. I spun around to make sure Marchita was okay, but only for a second because the people started yelling at me.

I heard, "You need to get out of here!" "I'm not telling Abilene any of my business!" "You need to shut that camera off!"

Um...That got intense. QUICK!

As they're shouting, I begin to calm them down. Speaking in a hushed tone, I assured them I wasn't looking to call anyone out, nor was I there to rub it in their face. Look, I know that this was the worst possible time for me to show up...some may argue there's never a good time for me to show up. All the same, I explained that I was sorry for what they went through, and how I hoped they understood that I only came by to give them a chance to speak for themselves, not to throw it in their face.

Well once that was out there, then they started in on telling me their life's story. All of them. At once. It was a lot to take in.

Thankfully, we ended on a much more level attitude, and I even got them to say they might talk to me when everything calms down.

As for Marchita, she was caught up in the rush and had never experienced that. I have to admit, I've been close to that...but never to the point where I was anticipating hostility. Thankfully, we were okay, though it reinforced the idea to be mindful of people's emotions and the situation around us.

OOPS! Things People Didn't Expect to see In the News

Okay it's 2010, and we're off to a flying start here in the Abilene news world... Last week I brought a story to you about a family who had given away a shotgun to the wrong person! As the story was told to me, the wife had an apartment full of people when a man came to the door and said her husband told him to take his (the husband's) shotgun. Caught off guard, the wife passed off the shotgun, only to find out from her husband he never even spoke with the other man. Very sneaky...

Anyway, I met the couple, they are very nice and all too willing to let others know they made a mistake. In this post, I'm not trying to mock them or bring any unwanted attention their way, but if you step back there is a moment that makes you say, "OOPS."

The couple felt bad, and they told me they hope nothing happens because of their mistake. Still to give a shotgun away to a man they barely knew...

The second, "OOPS" moment I came across this last week, was a woman who straddled her car across a drainage ditch while centering the car over the curb. It appeared she was trying to turn right out of a gas station, but cut things a little too close. Instead she had the car balanced over ditch. Looking at the car, at least two, if not three, of the wheels were off the ground. Yeah, there's no recovering from that....

OOPS!

As I was leaving the scene, (I would've stayed longer, but it was FREEZING cold) the tow truck service was studying the easiest and cleanest way to get the car off.

I mean I'm not perfect. Far from it, actually, and I'm guaranteed to have my "Oops moments," just watch me, I'm bound to say or do something. Off the camera, I was born a klutz and that has yet to change...So what will happen next in our town? You'd just have to standby and see. Just hope I don't cover your "Oops."

Becoming the Chew Toy

So if you haven't seen the video of the Abilene Police K-9s taking me down...you should stop here, and go see it!

I mean it. I'll hold your spot.

Okay, thank you for watching. Now, please understand I enjoyed that story, but that's because I was in a controlled environment and in a padded suit. If I were on the wrong side of the law, then that bite would've been bad news. It's important to understand that while the story was exciting, I did not want to sensationalize this. With that said, you also need to understand these dogs are not human-killers. Quite the opposite, these dogs are even-tempered and really sweet, until they're given a command.

Whew, all of that's out of the way (I had to clear all of that up) now I can tell all of the fun stuff.

This idea came after I was tracked for a story by the Taylor County Sheriff's dog, TJ, who doesn't attack, just searches. While basking in the glory of an exciting story, I got called out...several times. "Why didn't you take on a dog that bites? Were you scared?"

NO.

"Couldn't handle the thought?"

I'll do it, just wait and see. Well, BAM! Take that critics. Okay, come back, I didn't mean it. Are we still friends?

So, in gearing up for this exercise, the police gave me a safe word, that would signal the officer to call off the dog. Again, controlled environment...they weren't going to let their dog tear up my pretty face. (When you're done laughing, feel free to keep reading.)

The officers also advised that if I go to the ground, cover my head with the suit, like a turtle, and they'd step in to keep the dog away from any vital part. Again, controlled environment...

After taking the first bite, which wasn't painful at all, I was having a good time with the idea. Then the officers told me to run, and the dog would chase. Now, let me tell you about this bite suit...

It's big...real big...images of the Michelin Man come to mind, I was also called the "Stay-Puft" Marshmellow Man (from "Ghostbusters"), and even the Pillsbury Doughboy. If you have more, throw them out now.

In this suit, you can barely move. Which is nice, until you're told to run. They should've just barked out "Waddle!" because that would've been more accurate. As I took off, the dog caught me on the back of the right arm and pulled down. The force of the dog, plus my unstability, along with my instinct to hit the ground and hip-roll (thank you, football drills) caused me to roll right over the dog. Poor King.

The dog yelped, I swallowed deeply, just knowing I broke the pup's hip. Wait, before you call PETA on me, the dog was fine! I asked six times, they said I more or less surprised King, and aggravated him more then I hurt him.

WHEW! I could not have lived that down. Although, now I'm afraid I'll never live down the fact that I became a chew toy for some very skilled K-9s.

What a way to go...TO JAIL

Okay...here's a story that you won't see on the news. A lady gets nabbed for stealing...arrested for theft..and was sentenced today for it being a felony theft.

Wait, I'm moving to fast. Allow me to break this down so you get the full effect of why I'm writing this.

The theft this lady was arrested for was not her first...or even second. No, she scored herself the hat trick, making it a felony theft arrest. Pretty cool, right?

Okay, here's the fun part...and the real reason for writing this...the final theft arrest, was for stealing a robe. As in a bath robe, like the kind you wear on a cold day around the house.

**I know, what was she thinking, right?**

So can you imagine how that went down when she was booked in, and was in the jail house? Here's how I envision it, follow me if you will...

--Inmate 1: "What are you in for?"
--Inmate 2: "Stealing a car. You?"
--Inmate 1: "Burglary of a house. Hey new girl, what about you? What's your story?"
--Robe Stealer: "Oh me, stealing a robe."
--(Laughter quickly follows.)

That's just a part of the script, I'm working on. I'm in talks with several major movie labels for the rights. Look for it in theatres, oh in....well....I'll update that part.

Still, what a way to go. You get caught stealing a robe. Not a judge's robe, not a boxer's robe, a plain ole', ordinary, everyday robe.

(Side note and this is just you and me talking. How bad of a thief do you have to be to get caught stealing a ROBE? My guess, not so great.)

Plus, it seems so juvenile. I mean if this were in grade school, I'm sure the teacher would've solved it with a quick, give it back...now say you're sorry. Instead, this lady gets a hefty fine, enough to buy maybe several thousand robes, or at least several hundred top-of-the-line robes, and jail time.

What a way to go...

=Like the blog? Want more? Drop a line, leave me ideas, let me know what you think. Oh, and thanks for reading.=

I Mean Seriously, People...

The Abilene police have to be getting tired of the media coming around and asking about burglary cases right about now. Consider this, in the last couple of weeks, APD has seen an influx of car burglaries...many of them are because the car doors were left UNLOCKED!!

I MEAN SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE!

How hard is it to turn around, and lock your door. Shoot, most cars come with a key less remote...hit the button. (Side Note: I know not everyone has this feature, I lived with an '89 S-10 Blazer that had two keys, one to lock, the other to start the car. That was fun...)

Anyway, back to the lesson at hand...

Lock your doors, be it car doors, house doors, bathroom doors...whatever! Lock your doors! I mean seriously...do you want to have to tell the police, "No, officer, I don't think I locked my door..." NO! No one wants to have to say that. (Second Side Note: If this has happened to you, I'm sorry, it's no fun having your stuff stolen, I've had it happen. Although, I'm willing to guess, you wish you could do it over, and lock your door.)

That would completely reduce the number of thefts and burglaries, or at the very least make it harder for it to happen. Consider this advice, Sgt. Phipps, of the Abilene police, said the phrase is to "Harden the Target." Which he explains, if you make it hard for the bad guy to do bad things, they are more likely to move on and leave your home, or car, away.

Okay, I've spoken my peace. Just please, Abilene, it's not that hard to lock your doors, and let's be honest, it makes good sense! I mean seriously, people...

Wreck Less Wednesday, Becomes Wreckless

We just couldn't do it, could we, Abilene? We were challenged, the gauntlet was laid down, and we failed. I'm talking about the campaign from Abilene police to have a "No Wreck Wednesday."

The idea was simple: don't get in a wreck. Tim translation: Don't be stupid. Now with that said, I must enter into a personal confession, of sorts. Be gentle with me, but I wasn't exactly the poster-child for perfect driving. So I will write the rest of this slightly tongue-in-cheek. Bear with me.

15 minutes into the day...that's how long the concept lasted...15 minutes! A driver got into an accident. There went the goal, before many of us went to bed, and well before most of us woke up to start our day. Although, it didn't stop there! Other drivers got caught up in whatever, their iPhone, their music, or were trying to qualify for the NASCAR circuit.

(I've come to learn NASCAR sponsors don't recruit from the streets, which is weird because there seems to be plenty of people auditioning.)

All the same, some were just "Those" drivers. You know the ones that get on your nerves. Come on, admit it, you've labeled them when you see them running you down on Winters Freeway, or weaving in and out along some street. And by label, I mean yelled at them as if they can hear you through your car and theirs. I've done it, no need to lie to yourself.

Anyway, the day was lost, we hit lucky number 11 at about 4:30 this afternoon. The daily average is 13. Yeah, tough break for Abilene.

However, there was plenty of optimism about the campaign raising more awareness on the streets. Who knows how many people made an intentional effort to avoid bad habits today so they wouldn't be one of the "knuckleheads?" If you were, let me know, I'm curious about it. Think about it, if we all just make a personal commitment to be safe, what a difference it could make.

OK, as I step of my soap box, and try not to fall on my face because of my own personal guilt on this topic, I leave you with this...

The rules are created so 16 year-olds can follow them...Are you smarter than a 16 year old?

**I wrote this mostly in jest, if you were involved in an accident, I'm sorry that happened to you. I've been in one before, it's nerve-rattling, and tough to handle. Although, I'm not joking when I say, I think we can all do better on the road, me included.**

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Silly Law Makers, Tricks are For Kids

Alright, so we all know there are a few laws that just don't seem to fit... You know like actually stopping for a red light... It's really more of a caution to speed up, am I right? (Disclaimer: Please stop at red lights. I've seen you...sometimes you don't!)

But there is a new law that took effect on the first that has many, including myself, wondering just how it's going to work out. No, I'm not talking about the no cell phones in school zones, that one makes sense (although, I'm bound to break it because driving is when I'm getting most of my business done). Instead, I'm talking about the law that was initially authored by Rep. Abel Herrero, that says any offender of family violence may be ordered, by a judge, to wear a GPS tracking monitor and restricted from certain areas where the victim may be. This new law also says that the victim may request a monitor to find out where the offender is, at all times.

Now I'm not bashing this idea, I love it actually. It provides an accountability that ideally should help out many victims, and even offenders. No, I'm bashing the law makers for creating this idea, with no instruction for how, or even, who is supposed to carry it out.

Here, in Abilene, I asked around about this law. The Justice of the Peace office, said it was a matter for the District Attorney. The District Attorney, said it was a matter for the JP's Office. Meanwhile, the Probation office said it wasn't theirs to watch, and the few bondsmen I asked (who interact the most with an offender) had no idea what I was even talking about.

Please, don't get me wrong, this is not me mixing it up with the local law authorities. They were extremely helpful in my search for the answers. The issue with all of this goes way up the hierarchy to the folks who didn't instruct these people on how to carry it out!

So here's my understanding after my wild hunt: All of these bodies, except the bondsmen, knew of the law. So they were informed, and up to date. That's a plus. And, all of them were aware that there was a problem with the way this set up. With all that said, here is the Tim Johnston Abridged Version of the Operation Protocol.

The JP will order the GPS, which can be written into the bond. The offender will have to pay, somehow, for the GPS unit and for the monitor for the victim, if the victim wants it. As of now, very few are equipped to meet these demands, but the Corrections Office (aka Probations) is geared up with GPS tracking anklets, but the monitors for the victims are not available, yet. The bondsmen will be given instruction at the next meeting, and then everyone should be versed in how this will go.

Confused? You should be! So is everyone else, at this point. Desperate for answers? Just hold on, because all eyes will be on the first city/county that attempts to carry this out.

And that is why this new law presents such an issue...not because of what it wants to do, but because it didn't explain how to do it!

As it stands, I probably just wrote about something that goes way beyond my pay-grade...And I will do my best to blog about a more witty topic next time.