Black and Blue Ch. 04

"No, it doesn't." said Garland. "Not as far as a potential lawsuit is concerned, and the Town & County's liability for it."

"Bring it on, then." I said. "We'll fight that lawsuit like hell, and we'll win."

"It's not your decision to make." said Garland. "Ultimately, it's the Council's decision. And the optics of a case like this are such that fighting it would be futile, and you'll be called racists for daring to fight it."

"I'm being called a racist every day by KXTC." I fired back. "And I don't give a shit about the optics. The truth is on our side, and we should fight it with everything we've got...

And then I raised my voice and said coldly: "Or is the problem the current City Attorney's unwillingness to do the right thing in the face of Media lies?"

Dennis Garland turned beet red at that. "I resent that!" he shouted. "One more time, Commander Troy: it's not your decision to make. It's the Council's."

"Ultimately, you're right, it is." said Daniel Allgood "And I hold the tiebreaking vote. Furthermore, it'll be my decision who the City Attorney will be when the time comes to fight it."

Garland's face turned even redder. "I've given you no reason to say that, Mr. Mayor. But before I leave this meeting, I have the duty to tell you all one other thing: do not talk to the Press nor anyone else about McCombs. It could be harmful to the Town & County's position in any lawsuit filed against us."

"What about Bettina's lies about me?" I asked. "She's saying I assaulted McCombs, and I'm getting tired of it. I think (air quotes) 'the People have the right to know' that McCombs nearly committed murder, and that I stopped him, not helped him."

"If you say that to the Press, Troy," said Garland, his voice menacing and very angry, "then you're admitting the TCPD is liable for what happened to that man, and you've guaranteed we get blown out of Court in the lawsuit that surely will be filed."

"I don't agree." I said.

"You're not a lawyer!" thundered Garland.

"I might as well be!" I shouted. "We Police have to know one hell of a lot about the law so that we don't fuck up and give defense attorneys easy cases! And I DO know that if we fight any lawsuit like hell, we have a much better chance of winning. We have NO chance if we capitulate like cowards!" I barely refrained from saying 'like you apparently are'.

Dennis Garland got up and collected his things. "Mr. Mayor, I'll talk to you when we can talk alone. I've given sound advice here, to not talk to the Press nor anyone about the McCombs case. You do whatever you want to do." He turned and left the room.

"I can't act as a City Attorney nor give legal advice in a way that can be construed as personal services." said D.A. Miriam Walters in the awkward silence. "But you don't hear me saying Commander Troy is wrong in any way. And yes, I will be prosecuting McCombs for attempted murder with everything I and my Office can muster. And you can have Paulina for this one, Commander."

"Much obliged." I said, a bit levelly.

Walters: "Having said that, I need to let you know that the case against Hendricks is far, far weaker. McCombs used the n-word, which pretty much destroys his assertions that he was acting properly or to protect other Officers. It shows hostile intent. But Hendricks is on camera just drawing his weapon, and he's stated he thought you, Don, were criminally assaulting his Sergeant, and he was only acting to protect McCombs before Commander Croyle assaulted him and took him down."

"I'm glad she's not in here to hear that." Cindy said. I nodded most very vigorously in agreement.

"Which is another point." said Miriam. "Don't take my head off for this, I'm just the messenger. But Gwen Munson is Satan's spawn, and she will endlessly bring up the Dean Allen incident and whatever else she can to show that Commander Croyle has tendencies to violence, and exercised those tendencies against Hendricks. No, it won't wash, but it could get Hendricks an acquittal or a hung jury."

"It's funny how the Union isn't grieving that, nor really helping Hendricks at all on any of this." I mused.

"All right." said the Mayor. "I suspect you guys are busy and are going to be getting busier soon, so I'll let you get back to it. By the way, Don, per the new Charter, who is 'acting Mayor' after me?"

"The Sheriff." I said.

"And after him?" asked the Mayor.

"The Inspector General." I said. "Then it devolves to the Council Members, in order of seniority of time served."

Allgood nodded. "The reason I ask: the US DOJ's Civil Rights Division is all over us again. I won't talk to them because they're suing me. They're also suing the TCPD, so I don't know if Sheriff Griswold can or should talk to them. Soooo, Mr. Wellman, expect a call from Washington."

"And people wonder why I didn't run for another term." muttered Wellman...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Back at Headquarters, I had Teresa and Tanya come into my office. It was a one-way conversation and it did not take long:

"Have everyone wear armor." I said. "Loddy doddy everybody. No exceptions, unless they haven't been issued any and there is none to spare. But that would be an exceptional exception. Also, I would infinitely prefer that no Police Officer be out in public alone, either on duty or off duty. And be mindful of your families; they should also be very wary at all times."

I continued: "I don't want any abnormally large or obvious Police presence on the roads. Maintain current levels of patrolling. However, they should be very alert out there, and if they seen anything that suggests trouble is brewing, they need to call it in, pronto. Tanya, have the Detectives, Vice and MCD, go around in unmarked cars, and not the same cars to the same places all the time. Have them watching to see if any groups start forming. And let's keep in contact with our C.I.s, and I'll authorize extra rewards or bounties for information that comes in fast, is valid, and helps us stop anything in its tracks."

Me: "Have the perimeter plans for the Old Mill and Police Headquarters ready to be instantly implemented. And have plans for City Hall, the Government buildings, and the Courthouse complex ready to go, as well."

Me: "Teresa, have the SWAT Teams and various 'Takedown Teams' on high alert and ready to go at a moment's notice."

"Finally," I concluded, "if the Council passes J.J. Perry's medal Tuesday in a second reading, we'll award it to him at shift change, 8:00am Wednesday morning. I want loddy doddy everybody there. Every Officer, all Precincts, all shifts. Even if we don't award the medal, I want everyone there, but put out the word that it's for the medal so that the God damned Press will think that's what it's about. What are your questions pertaining to these instructions?"

"Sir," said Teresa, "are you sure you don't want increased patrols, in a show of strength? To deter anyone getting any ideas?"

"No." I said. "We start overdoing it, and the Black Community will take that as the Police being overbearing on them... and you damn well better believe the Fake News Media will portray it that way..."

Part 24 - Council Cancel

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Tuesday, May 12th, from the rooftop of the building on Riverside and College, with Police Headquarters in the background. "Tensions across the State and even the Nation are building after white Police Officers murder unarmed blacks!"

After going through the incidents in the City and Midtown, Bettina said "Let's go to our KSB affiliate in the City, Tim Sioban, for more on deeply unpopular Governor Val Jared. Tim!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said Tim Sioban, who was reporting from the roof of a building with The Badlands in the background... where plumes of black smoke could be seen. "Blacks are peacefully demonstrating the murder of Kenneth Taylor at the hands of City Police Sergeant Thomas Chauvin. Marches are planned through major streets, including those that go to City International Airport, which could cause traffic disruptions."

Sioban: "Governor Val Jared called City Police Commissioner Whitney 'Buck' Savage to discuss sending State law enforcement assets, including the National Guard, to the City in the event the demonstrations turn violent. The meeting was described by Jared spokeswoman Sarah Honeysuckle as 'constructive' and 'positive'. However, City Mayor Lucian Phelps had a strong response to that. Roll tape."

Tape rolled, showing Mayor Phelps angrily yelling "I am telling Val Jared to keep his racist nose out of my City's business! Unlike the racist Val Jared, this City's elected Democrat leadership are sensitive to the plight of blacks constantly being harassed and even murdered by white Police Officers. I am demanding a full investigation of the City Police Officers involved in the brutal murder of Kenneth Taylor! And this murder is one good reason that it is time to defund the Police, and replace them with community policing that is responsive to our black citizens's needs!"

Back to Tim Sioban live: "City Police Officers are angry at the lack of support from the City's leadership, and reports are that over 200 Police Officers have called in sick today, many of them from the Ferguson Park, Badlands, and Airport districts. Mayor Phelps and several City Council members have condemned the Police sick-outs as 'insensitive' and 'a failure to do their duty to this City and its citizens."

"Thank you for that report, Tim!" said Bettina as the feed abruptly changed back to her. "And Commander Donald Troy was involved in an incident similar to the murder in the City, when an unarmed black man was assaulted by white Police at gunpoint, called the n-word, and ordered to get on his knees in front of his son. Let's go to trusted civil rights reporter Lester Holder for more. Lester!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said Lester Holder as he came onscreen. He was at the Jasmine Club, and many young blacks were behind him, wearing 'Black Lives Matter' and 'Black Voices Raised' shirts, some holding up signs to make it hard to see just how many people were actually there.

Penis Holder: "There is a lot of anger towards the Police, and especially the racist Commander Donald Troy, after a series of incidents across the State. Democrat nominee for the Town & County Council Edgar Silas has demanded a meeting with Donald Troy to discuss these issues, to force Troy to acknowledge the TCPD's insensitivity towards black citizens of the County, and to force Troy to not use force against peaceful demonstrations. Back to you, Bettina."

"Thank you, Lester!" said a beaming Bettina. "And as usual, Commander Troy is shirking his duty by not responding to repeated requests by KXTC for comment..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I'm getting tired of Bettina again." Captain Tanya Muscone said as we drank coffee and watched in the Chief's Conference Room. "She made it sound like Commander Troy was the one that attempted to murder that unarmed man."

"Yeah, I'm about to go nuclear on her for that." I said.

"Easy, Commanderrrrr." said the Chief. "Wouldn't want to o-ffennnd Dennis Garland."

"I'm gonna stick my crowbar up his ass." I threatened. "It'll be the only spine he has, but maybe he'll use it."

"Two hundred sick-out calls in the City?" Teresa Croyle said, her voice denoting shock. "That's almost the number of the entire TCPD."

"How many Offices does the City PD have?" Tanya Muscone asked casually.

"About 4000, last I checked." I said. "The Metro City area is about 20 times as large as us, and so they have about 20 times as many Officers. I think it was 4150 when I did a DuckDuckGo search while we were writing the Charter."

"No unrest in Southport?" the Chief asked.

"No sir." said Cindy Ross. "Not according to FBI sources."

I said "Welllll... I talked to Eugene Graham with the Southport PD, and he said the Mob-controlled areas, especially those along the rivers, are quiet. But the predominantly-black areas north and inland are getting restless. I'm told the inner northside of Southport is almost as bad as the southside of Chicago.

I continued: "Also, Turpin Heights, in the State south of Southport, had a night of looting, and the Police there pulled back rather than try to contain it. And that's a jurisdiction where the politicians do not support their Police, which is one reason why Turpin Heights is Satan's sewer system."

"Midtown could get ugly, toooooo." said Chief Moynahan. "Chief Soltis says that the politicians are very divided on whether or not to support the Police or throw them to the dogs. And State Rep Tasheeka Harris is not helping. She's demanding Governor Jared call a special session of the Legislature, for the purpose of defunding the Police, as well as calling for the Officers there to be indicted for murder."

"I could not get clear on what happened there." said Tanya. "Nell Bell sent me all their Police reports and Officer-cam data, and just in time: Internal Affairs took over the case an hour later."

"Then it's dead and buried." Teresa said. "They'll sweep it under the rug."

"Maybe not." I said. "Tanya?"

Tanya: "It seems cut and dried that the boyfriend, who was a known drug distributor, fired shots at the Police after they announced and then rammed the door open. The girlfriend was sitting next to the boyfriend, and was shot in the chest and died. The boyfriend was damn lucky he wasn't perforated 41 times, or something like that."

"So what's the issue?" Cindy asked.

Tanya said "They didn't announce all that loud, if you ask me. It sounded loud on the video in evidence, but that could just be the guy speaking right into the microphone, or... or it could have been enhanced later. The perp told Federal Agents interviewing him in the presence of his lawyer that he did not hear any announcement at all."

"Federal Agents, huh?" I asked. "Any idea which particular ones?" The Chief and Cindy both looked at me funny, and not a good 'funny'.

Tanya: "No sir, I don't know. Also, while I was kidding about the 41 times, the girlfriend was struck at least six times, while the boyfriend was not struck at all. The Officer-cams show him dropping his weapon and surrendering, and he'd fired the first shot right as the Officers were coming in the door, so that wasn't on video."

"I'll bet Nell Bell would love for Commander Troy to go down there and investigate the case." Teresa said 'innocently'.

"You were the one in Midtown I.A." I replied. "Anyone you still know you could talk to?"

"The only person I really knew during my six months there was some Canadian Detective named 'Molly'." Teresa replied, referring to Cindy's sister, Molly Evans. "Her kids seem cool, but I heard her sister wasn't very good in the Police Boxing Matches."

The cold fire that poured out of Cindy's eyes would kill mere mortals. I tried to hold it in, but broke down laughing so hard that my head was on the desk as I cried.

"Six." Cindy finally said, denoting her unparalleled number of championships.

"Two." Teresa replied. "As in 2-0, my record against you."

"Oh boyyyyyy." groaned the Chief. "Even when forbidden to compete anymore, you still find wayyyyys to talk smack about it. Sooooo... how were things in our County last night?"

"Relatively quiet, Chief." I said as I regained my composure. "I looked at the duty logs when I came in, and there were no incidents involving groups, or buildings or cars set on fire."

"They must be waiting for something." said Teresa Croyle.

"Why don't we think possss-i-tivvvve-ly, and maybe there won't be any riots here." said Chief Moynahan.

"I hope you're right, Chief." I said. "I hope you're right. By the way, where is the Sheriff? I really thought he'd be here with us this morning."

"You'll have to ask himmmmmm." said the Chief. "Okay, let's get to work. Commander Troy, your Board of Inquest has been set for next week, probably next Monday or Toooss-dayyyy..."

"Happy happy, joy joy." I said as Teresa turned to peer at the Chief, then at me...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

7:00pm, Tuesday, May 12th. Teresa and I had expected a packed house for the Council meeting, so she'd had a large contingent of Officers ready to augment the armored Deputies. However, it was only about two-thirds full inside the public Council Chamber.

But outside? It was the beginnings of chaos. Hundreds of persons were on Courthouse Square in front of City Hall, and on Riverside Drive that ran behind the building. They were surrounding the flagpole and the statue of President Jefferson, but so far had left the statue alone.

"They seem to just be walking in a slow circle around the building." said Teresa. "Most of the signs are about Kenneth Taylor, who was shot in the City."

"There's still over an hour of daylight left." I said. "The demonstrations in the other cities have been pretty peaceful during daylight hours, but got 'less peaceful' after dark, when the City tried to enforce a curfew."

"I'm slowly bringing in more people as it gets darker." said Teresa. "My worry is what to do when the Council Members are ready to leave. They'll have to drive through the mob to get on the road to their homes."

"Let's shut off Riverside to them now, then." I said. "Tell them they can be on Courthouse Square as long as they're peaceful, but they can't be blocking the street..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I went back to the Council Chamber. To my surprise, Sheriff Griswold was on the floor, to the gallery's left and the Council's right. I went up to him and said "Hi Sheriff. Long time no see."

"Har." barked Griswold. "Yeah, I've been busy, too. How's the situation outside?"

I told him, then said "It'd be really nice if the Council shut down early and went home." Sheriff Griswold nodded in agreement. I handed Adele Peabody, the Intendent, a note to give to Mayor Allgood.

The Council Members filed in and took their seats, and Mayor Allgood gaveled the meeting into session and dispatched the routine stuff. "We have one item of old business, a second reading, that will be done in Executive Session. Any other old business?"

"Mr. Mayor," said J.P. Goldman, "many of these people in the audience wish to speak about the Election results from last week and the very suspicious water main break that prevented a fair and accurate recount of the votes." A large number of people in the audience applauded.

"Point of order." said Kelly Carnes. "It's not really our pervue, and the political Parties at the State level have made their decisions about it."

"Are you saying these people don't have the right to speak about it?" fired back Goldman. The Mayor tapped his gavel.

"Let's pass out cards, so that people can write what they want to speak about." said the Mayor. The Intendent began leading the charge in doing that as the Mayor continued: "I have been informed that there is a large gathering of people outside demonstrating. The demonstrations appear to be peaceful, but I am urging this Council to wrap up tonight's business as quickly as possible, so that the Police can get us out of here as soon as possible. Any new business?"

"Yes, Mr. Mayor." said Kelly Carnes. "I move that we pass a resolution urging the Town & County Assembly to defund the Police after the near-murderous attack upon an unarmed black man by white Police Officers in an incident in which Commander Donald Troy was involved---"

"POINT OF ORDER!" yelled J.P. Goldman. "Commander Troy stopped the incident from becoming deadly!"

"Point of order!" yelled Sheila Sorrells. "Councilman Goldman is out of order!" The Mayor began tapping his gavel.

"Mr. Goldman," said the Mayor, "you will have the right to make that assertion during debate of the bill... if it's even seconded."