Noise Complaint

[R. Martin]

((1-2 sheriff units, Shiloh Apartments, 132 Third St N, noise complaint. Time out 1032))

Sitting at the police console, I scan the screen. Standard day in Fort Shiloh, really. Not too busy, not too slow. I see a new call pop up on the screen and open it, scanning the call notes before keying the radio.

"Next available unit, be en route to 132 Third Street North for a noise complaint. Caller advises she hears banging and loud voices in the neighboring apartment."

[J. Wagner]

"ERT, 211 is going to take that one, do we have an apartment number?"

I look down at the MDT and see I'm maybe three blocks away from that building. Not that I really need a screen to tell me. I've been there so often I'm sure I could crawl over to the next seat and the car would still find its way there.

I grab my gloves from the duty bag in the passenger seat and turn my right signal on as I change lanes and get closer to the call. 

[J. Wagner]

Pulling up outside of the building, I park my rig and  walk into the lobby. Not having got a response from the dispatcher about an apartment number, I buzz the button labelled super. 

'yes?'

'It's Deputy Wagner with the SCSD, we've gotten a noise complaint in the building, can you buzz me in?'

Silence from the speaker, followed by a buzz as the solenoid clicks and the door unlocks. I grab a flyer bundle and open the door. Wedging a grocery store flyer in the door, it leaves it partly ajar for any backup to get in a little easier. 

"ERT, 211, I'm in the building, I'll check it out. Do we have a second unit on this one?"

 

 

[C. Dempsy]

*i had been just cruising around after roll call, letting the charger stretch its legs a bit where i could on the highway but had also been paying attention to the radio nobody had backed up jerry so  i figure i will and key up* "dispatch, show 207 taking a slow ride over ,ill back 211 maybe 5 minutes  away from him"* i release the mic  as i cruise lazily over to him*

[J. Wagner]

Hearing 207 come to life, I key my mic. 

"207, 211, door is wedged, I'm looking for the original caller."

I walk up and down the halls, hearing a voice getting louder in the 211-220 portion of the building. 

"ERT, be advised, I can hear something happening in the area of 211-220. I'm headed down that hallway to check it out. "

[C. Dempsy]

“ 207 copys 211 im in the 100 block will be rolling up soon” * i say as i drive a bit faster still running without sirens or lights a few intersections later i pull up behind wagners cruiser flip my body cam on,and head for the building as i key my portable* “ dispatch,show 207 on scene break, 211 you still in the 200’s?”

[J. Wagner]

"Copy that 207, sounds like it's coming from 212. "

I release my mic, knowing that with that yelling they'd never hear me anyways, and make a fist with my leather gloved hands. I bang on the door loudly to announce my presence. Silence for a second follows, but nothing else. I count to three and bang again. 'Sheriff's Department! I need someone to come to the door.'

That does the trick, I hear footsteps, followed by a chain sliding into place, or out of place I guess. The door opens and confirms the former. A female pokes her head through the little opening that the door makes. 

'Is everything alright officer?'

It's deputy. It literally says that on my jacket, and my shirt, and everything. Oh god. Here we go.

'Ma'am, we've received a noise complaint from this apartment, reporting what sounds like a pretty bad argument.'

'Oh," she says shakily "It must have been a movie or something."

I try to move a little to see if there's something happening, right now I can only see half a face, if that, and nothing more. When I move, she jerks away , ensuring I see no more than before. 

"Ma'am, can you open up that door so we can talk a little more. It's hard to chat with you right now."

"I'd rather not, This building sometimes has people in it who can be quite aggressive. I don't like to have my door left open like that."

If I wasn't a uniformed Sheriff's Deputy, carrying several visible weapons, I might believe that. 

Redirecting, I say, "What's your name?"

"Emily."

"Who's in there with you Emily?"

"Oh, um," she says, looking back  into the apartment, as if to search. "Just me, I'm here alone."

 

[C. Dempsy]

“Copy that 207, sounds like it's coming from 212.” 

* as 211 confirms where he’s at im pulling up marking my computer i step out  putting the car in park as i go keying my portable* “ 207’s on scene with 211 county” * i release the mic as i step in the building, if wagners in contact whoever its with just heard hes now got backup as i quickly link up opting to let him keep engageing who talking to*

Edited January 19, 2023 by Vanguard

[J. Wagner]

"207's on scene with 211 county."

"Copy that 207."

Alright, at least I'm not playing with myself any more. 

"Emily, I need to come in now to verify that you are safe. I need you to open the door for me." Alright, I think to myself, this is only half the truth, but maybe this will get her to invite me in. 

After a moment's hesitation, I see her mentally weigh it through and then shrug. 

"Okay, one second."

She closes the door and I hear the latch slide, ever so slowly. After about 9 or 10 seconds, the door opens, and I see a visibly bruised face on the woman I was just speaking to. Not giving her the chance or anyone else, I walk into the apartment, and immediately scan the room. My senses heightened, knowing this is fresh and the doer is probably not far away from me. She's hiding her face, as best as she can without being overtly obvious, and she's clearly uncomfortable, but I don't think it's just my presence. 

"Emily, I'm going to ask again, for my safety. Is anyone else in this apartment with us right now?"

She pauses again, and then silently shakes her head.

"Okay, my partner is coming in shortly, and I'm going to check it out with him just to ensure you are safe, but I want to know what happened with your face. Where did those bruises come from?"

No way am I checking this apartment alone. I don't want to lose a fight, I don't know how big the dirt bag is, and I really don't want the paperwork associated with making him glow from electricity, or giving him a high speed piercing. I can stall for a minute until backup comes in. 

 

[C. Dempsy]

' ill follow you' * i say as i walk up seeing a clearly beat up women before me as i follow wagner in,biting back the few memories i had growing up as a kid in clinton,domestics were allways messy both to respondd to,and be an eyewitness to" ma'am,do you want me to get EMS here for you?'* * i ask not getting a responnse as i also scan the room*

[J. Wagner]

"Alright Emily, I'm going to check the apartment now to make sure everyone is safe. I'm going to have Deputy Dempsy stay with you until I'm finished. Before I go, is there anyone else here with us I should be aware of?"

Instead of a no this time, she doesn't respond at all. Deciding to err on the side of caution, I put my hand on my baton while I head down the narrow hall. Fortunately, it's not a big apartment, so it won't take long. I look in the first door, which is a bathroom, no one there. A second door leads to linen closet, which surprisingly, there's no one in. The last door was pushed too, but not fully closed at the end of the hall. I take my baton off my belt, but don't expand it yet, and open the door, revealing a lit room. Strange for her to have the room's light on with no one else home. 

"Sheriff's department, is anyone there?" I call out as I walk in. I hear a noise in the closet, and expand my baton. Loud enough Dempsy should hear me. "Come out with your hands where I can see them or we're coming in to get you." I pause for effect. "NOW!" I bark. 

Listening to the hallway, just in case, I shine my light to the closet with my fully extended baton in the other hand and see movement again. 

"Final warning. Out!" I bark again, loudly. 

A pair of hands pokes out from the closet, slowly, but I brace myself to swing, and swing hard if needed. Too close for tazer, too small of a space to get spicy,  and too much paperwork to shoot. A little lovetap from my friends at the baton factory always hurt, so maybe he'll be cooperative. 

[C. Dempsy]

* im about to ask again if the women wants EMS when i hear wagners baton,sharp commands follow shortly and i look at the women* 'stay behind me,and follow,when i get to your bathroom enter and lock the door,i gotta go help my partner* with that  i get infront of the women,also opting for my baton given the space,when we arrive at her bathroom,i hear the door shut and quickly lock by now im more or less behind wagner* 'ready on your go,had her lock herself in the bathroom' * i brace myself for what might be an altercation but maybe the guy only hits women and wont try taking two,prepared deputys on*

[J. Wagner]

Good spot to shit herself I guess.

I reach forward and grab the right hand, statistically the strongest, and pull aggressively to the ground. When the thump of the suspect lands on the ground, I drop on top of him, wrenching that arm behind him. 

"What you hiding for man? You do that shit out there?" He struggles but I'm overpowering him. "What, can't take a fair fight? That's okay, this isn't fair." I say, driving my elbow between his shoulder blades as I take out my handcuffs.