A Cop’s Wife Waits, Then the Phone Rings

An edited excerpt from the March 9 posting on “Behind the Badge and Surviving Los Angeles” (behindthebadge.blogspot.com):

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As a wife of a police officer, I am pretty calm and do not get worried too much about my husband’s job in law enforcement. But on occasion I can be gripped with that fear that all who are married to a police officer know.

At 3 a.m., when he is normally walking through the door -- home safe from his shift -- my phone rang.... My lungs seemed to seize on me as I answered my phone with a weak “Hello?”

“Hey Sweetie, on OT, got into a bad accident but I’m OK, not hurt.”

Later, after the biggest hug in the world, he told me the story:

He and his partner went in pursuit of a vehicle running a red light and the suspect ran a couple of red lights then one more and crashed into some already crashed cars then threw the car in reverse and crashed into the cruiser -- the front end was wrecked completely and the passenger side door was crushed with the frame of the car. My husband was the passenger where the car hit and their car was thrown backwards.

Then his partner yelled “GUN.” The suspect jumped out of his vehicle with a gun in his hand and took off running. Hubby’s partner jumped out and chased but hubby couldn’t get door open. Finally did manage to kick it open (I don’t suppose it’s real easy for a big man in vest and belt to jump over the seat and go through the driver’s door) and went on chase too. They called K-9 out and set up a search; the guy is still at large....

With the latest in the news (i.e. Devin Brown, etc.), the police lives are at even more risk than usual due to people “looking for justice.” ...

So ... I pray extra throughout the day: “Dear God, bring him home safe after each and every shift.” And I give him an extra strong hug when he walks through that door.