Freakiest thing. My wife and I were out having dinner at a pretty nice restaraunt. Old habits die hard, and I sat with my back to the wall, eyes on the entrance (my wife is so well-trained about this that she automatically gives me that seat with no fuss anymore).

About halfway through my steak, I see a guy walk in. Four years ago, half my shift had him at gunpoint for a half an hour, while he tried to get us to kill him; he was just a little too CS to cut his own throat with the knife, though he started a few times. At the end, we talked him down, and took him into custody safely without injury to anyone, and put him in the state hospital, where he stayed for a whopping two whole days. This was the start of his downward slide.

Over the next year and a half, he committed a [b]series[/b] of Sexual Assaults, growing bolder and bolder, eventually breaking into houses and attempting violent sexual assaults (he started on acquaintance rapes). He even had a rape kit made up, classic signs of a budding and increasingly dangerous predator. We hunted him down, and locked him up, ending his little spree.

What in the name of God is he doing out on the streets? I remember that there were some issues at the time about his mental competency, and all I can figure is that the DA's Office thought he was too crazy to stand trial. While this guy may be nuts, though, he is still an onoging danger to everyone, and I can't believe that he is out of custody. Anyone else have similar problems in their jurisdictions? Around here, the "mental health" system is an absolute joke. I had one person who made several very serious attempts at suicide over a matter of minutes, and required several stitches and a stomach pumping to bring them back, and the mental facility released this person after two hours, and they immediately made another attempt.

I guess I just felt like venting a bit. Didn't ruin my dinner, but definitely kept me a bit more alert.

I did a ride along with a buddy about 2 years ago.  He arrested some guy for warrants during a traffic stop and we took him to the county jail for booking.  Two days later this guy shows up in my shop.  He looked at me for a second and said "Don't I know you from somewhere?  You look very familiar."  I nearly fell on the floor laughing.

All the time. I work for the local Sheriff's Dept. and live in one of the smaller towns in the county. I grew up here so I end up arresting people I have known since first grade.

About a year ago I did a case on a real asshole of a fellow County Employee who was stealing from the County. I got him stealing on video tape several times. I ended up doing a search warrant on his house and side business where I found some of the property. About a week after he found out he was being charged with 21 felony counts of theft, my wife and I decide to go out for Mexican food. We walk into the only Mexican joint in town and who do I see. About 15 of MY family members who had just goten into town a day early and had the same idea we did. As I go to them I see my bad guy sitting in a booth with his wife. He starts to get all pissy faced and I can see the wheels turning. Just as he is about to open his mouth my family sees me and start coming over to greet me and my wife. I just look at the guy and wait. He shut is mouth and looked at the table. I stood next to his booth till they got up and left then sat down. His was the only seat in the house not filled with the ass of someone in my family.

The one thing that realy sucks is when you arrest one of the cooks at one of the few restaraunts in town. My wife hates it when she askes me, "Lets go to XYZ tonight." and I respond, "We can't eat there for a while."

Had a child molester show up on my doorstep one Sunday, wanted to clear up a "few misconceptions"  about his upcoming trial.  The wife does not complain about me picking up a pistol when the doorbell rings anymore.  

People have tried to follow me home from work,  One gave it up after a few miles,  2nd bunch was pulled from the car at gun point by on duty officers I called on the cell.  (That was pretty funny actually,  It was at an intersection and three identical cars were waiting)

Never had any history with them,  they just thought it would be cool to go after a lone officer in uniform on his way home.  That incident made me buy a more powerful vehicle for commuting.  Try and get away from someone in a Ford Aspire when they are willing to run lights and go the wrong way on the highway to keep up with you.

(You'd think they would have gotten the hint when I spent 15 minutes looping back and forth on hwy 183 waiting for an officer to show up.  Never can find a cop when you need one.)

Had a friend of mine driving home to Round Rock when a guy tried to run him off the road.  Resulted in a 3 car collision at the NB hwy 79 off ramp. Buddy planted the winch bumper in the rear window of the guys Taurus.

Another officer found a suspect he had arrested for Agg Assault 4 days before,  while waiting for a parent/teacher conference.  It was the parent ahead of him.  

Happens all the time to me, its a small town.  Went to Wal-Mart a few weeks ago, saw three different people that I'd arrested in the past year or so, at least two of whom saw me.  I've turned it into something of an awareness drill.  I lose points if they see me before I see them. I haven't had a problem yet with anyone, but I can see it happening.  In my opinion, it helps with this kind of stuff if you're as courteous as possible to everyone you arrest.  Don't sacrifice your safety, but if they have questions once they're in custody, answer them if you can.  Those little things seem to minimize the ill-will.
There are definitely some restaurants in town that are off-limits, at least until that certain cook leaves.  We also have take home patrol cars, so its real obvious where everyone lives.  Makes home security, carrying all the time, and being observant real important.
dp

So what did you do to the child molester?

My Dad was a Cop and my Father-in-Law was a GP/Criminal Attorney.  They had a few mutual business acquaintances.  Probably the diciest situation was when the wife was the main witness against a bg who turned out to be a real piece of work.  We were riding up the elevator at the Courthouse in San Diego from the parking level and we stopped at the main floor and the bg and his entire family got on to the elevator with us and rode up a few floors.  My wife had been a teller at one of the local bank branches and this little Jewish Grandmother was one of her customers.  This guy (lets say he was more likely related to the Queen of Sheba than to Solomon) came into a the clothing store she was then working at with several of this ladies credit cards and claimed he was her nephew.  Seems he had busted her up and stole her credit cards and other things.  While she was "checking " to see if he had permission to use the card, he furnished his girlfrinds number to check for.  My wife had called the PD.  Well they came in on him, several other stores had called on him when the cards were coming back do not accept.

My Dad had also taught in the car Driver Training at the local High School.  I had several people come up to me while I was on active duty and told me "Your Jack's boy aren't you??"  Yeah. "He gave me my first ticket.  He made me tell him where he told me not to do it and why in Driver Training. Then he asked me if I knew better.  Yep.  He gave it to me."

About 5 years ago I was doing some last minute Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve at Eastland Mall in Tulsa when I bumped into a guy in the crowd that had just got out on a 3 year sentence I had arrested him on. He didn't seem to recognize me, but I turned and went face-to-face with ANOTHER totally separate person who had just got out on a 2 year sentence that I had arrested him on. At first I thought it was a set up and they might have been together. The second one DID recognize me, but he was smart enough not to do anything. I came about one inch from calling for backup. Just a big coincidence.

I grew up in a small town where my dad was chief of police and I constantly met people and parents that my dad had dealt with and they always remembered the name and associated me with him but nothing ever happened.

I was talking to my dad about this at dinner. He said things like this are largly due to Patroling in the area you live.

Happens all the time, get used to it.

I think some may be misreading me. I run into folks I arrested all of the time, though I have been off the streets just long enough that it is becoming less frequent, and my recognition factor is dropping rapidly. Just the other day at lunch with my coworkers, we saw the legendary "Fat Naked Guy" from one of my most terrifying law enforcement experiences, adding to his medicine ball figure at a buffet restaraunt. It is common to run into former prisoners (though I am surprised that Fat Naked Guy hasn't exploded his heart from all of the cocaine by now; coke + morbid obesity = massive unstoppable coronary = morgue).

I was just shocked to see this particular one. By all rights, he should be on his second or third year of a several decade prison sentence. It was very disturbing to see HIM of all of the people I have arrested, especially in a nice restaraunt. At the very least I pictured him in an alley somewhere with his arm tied off, looking for a "good" vein or something.

Here's one for you.....
When I was younger I worked part time at another department. We ended up arresting a lady for DUI. She was okay but would have been lot better looking if she lost a few pounds and wasn't acting like a drunk bitch.. Fast forward several years.. guess who lost a few pounds and toned up and I hook up within a local bar....we remembered this a few dates later at my house after she saw my uniforms in the closet and saw a hat from my old department. We were kinda freaked out by it but we still went out for a few more weeks after that.
    Another time I got into it with a drunk over the phone on a telephone harassment call. He called while I was taking the report.  He didn't believe I was cop and was going to do all sorts of shit to me. My bosses would let me go over there so I informed the drunks's local PD to go over and tell him to stop calling and that I was in fact a real policeman.  Guess who calls me at 1400 hrs the next day to apologize....He stated he just started calling all my last names in the phone book until he found me, asking the people if they had a policeman in the family. This was when I was still living at home with my family... I had a talk with mom about this one.
    Unless someone is a major asshole, I always try and treat them okay.. you never know when you're going to run into them off duty...nor do you know what they do either.

How many of US have had a G-friend who always has to tell everyone in the bar that you are an off duty cop...[slap]

That's why I'm so happy I don't live where I work anymore.

The guy who lives across the street from me is currently in the County jail. I put him there. Yeah, I run into people I arrest all the time, but this one is scary![peep]

It all started when I answered a K-9 request for a school resource officer who had checked out with a suspicious feller in a truck a short distance from his school. I show up and low and behold, its my neigbor! And he recognizes me and says, "Hey neighbor".[shock]

Needless to say, they guy is on the shady side and after all is said and done, he is in custody and after I finish searching the truck I am several thousand dollars in cash heavier, and have several ounces of methamphetamine in my possession. Off to the jail he goes.

Several weeks later he gets released on bond and my partner checks out with a car sitting in the driveway of a vacant house. Turns out the car was occupied and both take off running. After a foot putsuit both are detained and I get the call to run the car with the dog. I arrive and recognize the car as belonging to the neighbor.[rolleyes]

Of course the dog alerts and I go to town searching the car, turning up another large amount of methamphetamine and cash. Neighbor goes back to jail, no bond.

I have taken a personal interest in this case and contact the CA on a regular basis to let them know I dont want this guy out. No plea deals. He has a prior 5 year stint in AZDOC for the same shit.

It's funny, my wife doesnt seem to alarmed about it, but thinks I'm weird because I want to sleep while spooning my M4.

I usually think, "that guy looks familiar" and then I remember 2 hours later where I know him from. I can never remember if it's a Friend or Foe familiarity...

Assisted him out of the yard and called the court,  His bond went away pretty quickly.  (Shame,  since his mom put up her house to secure the bond)

The little matter of trying to coerce witnesses came up at trial.  He "visited"the children as well. (Tried to pull one out of school posing as the uncle.)

Count 1,  65 years,  counts 2 thru 5, 30 years each.  Then Tarrant county had their turn.  He'll die in prison.  

Restaurants:  Eat at Subway.  They make your sandwich right in front of you.

I used to see my aressting officer regularly up untill I moved. Hes a great guy and I owe him big time. We where frendly to each other on scenes. Thanks for bringing this up I ought to wright him.

Happens to me all of the freaking time... Wish it did'nt. I am always pointing folks out to the wife, this guy is a wife beater, this girl is a doper, popped that one last year, etc...

I had a bad run in a Wal Mart (apparently not uncommon by reading this thread) with several thugs we had executed a S/W on several weeks earlier that ended up with me in a bit of a fight and having one guy by his neck with my .38 covering his buds who wanted to jump in. My wife ran for the front and got the locals there. I always carry restraints AND a weapon now. Scary shit when you have the Wifey wu\ith you.

I always used to try to impress upon my rookies that to us, they are one of the hundreds of shit bags we deal with and often times are forgotten. We are that "MF Pig who busted me" and he CERTAINLY has not forgotten you!

Me too! I HATE IT when I see some one I know and can not remember from where!!! If it is an old classmate you want to be nice and say hi, if it is a 1997 meth arrest...

Worse than that, I was on a Jury that sentenced a guy who "got frisky" with a 11 year old and a twelve year old. We convicted the P.O.S. and the next day i saw him walking with his girlfriend at our county fair!!!

Oh well eventually he got his, his tri axle coal truck lost it's brakes so when he jumped free it ran over him with all three back axles fully loaded.

Left him "feeling flat" let me tell you, I had the pleasure of scopping up his dengerate guts and depositing them in a biohazzard bag personally!

sooner or later all scum get get whats theirs, one way or another.


SQUISH, EW! Yuck!!!

Ps. I'm also a peace officer, it's a small town and i see people i arrest all the time, but they know about misters'.45 and OC and don't even harrass me!

Then again there was "superfreak" I arrested her on a warrant for bad checks, however i knew that the time and date on the check could not be right as i was in the business she works at that night and she couldn't have been 20 miles away writing checks when the check was stamped as accepted.

It turns out her husband left her and her son and was writing the checks so i got her off and arrested him on the new warrant.

Later she approaches me at the local wal mart and ask if "i'd like to handcuff her and throw her in the back seat again, I'll submit to a total body search officer!!!" in a seductive voice!!! She was totally serious!!!!!!

I have never been so embarrassed in my life, the whole damn store was looking at me!!!!! I still get looks from the employees at walmart!