Final Goodbye

Footage from the funeral of slain Chambers County Deputy Shane Detwiler. Video from today's Houston Chronicle website.

"Will I Get Powers?"

A man was going to jail on a family violence warrant. While everyone was waiting on the confirmation I went to talk to the woman and child who were with them. The woman had just met the guy and asked for a ride. She actually blamed herself because she went with a man with a warrant. The kid was standing there, afraid. He thought his mother was going back to jail. That should tell you something when a 5-year old knows what jail is and knows his mother has been there. I believe in trying to leave kids with positive impression of cops. If we don't try then all they have is what they learn from their criminal parents.

I get his name and talk to him. I try explaining that the guy with the warrant made a mistake and our job is to help him fix that mistake. Kind of like when mom yells at you for getting in trouble. Not sure if he understood that. So I hand him my flash light and he figures out how to push the buttons and turn it on. He loves it! He shines it in every dark area. He then shines it into the sky and asks;

"If I make it to the stars will I have powers?"

I was taken aback! How do you answer this? If he could actually get to the stars then yeah he would. So I tell him yes. Fugitive goes to jail and they leave the scene. I high five the kid and hope he remembers the cop who let him play with a flash light as he gets older and is pressured to fall into the trap many inner city kids fall into.

Oh That's Why My Starbucks Was Closed

Last Saturday I pulled into my Starbucks to get my evening coffee fix. I pulled up around 7PMish to find a locked door.

"What the hell???" I said to no one around. I looked inside to see all the lights off and no signs of something afoul. I went to another Starbucks and flirted with the girl, er, I mean got my coffee.

Today I returned and saw the familiar faces and flirted, er, I mean asked what happened.

"We got robbed Saturday! I kept hoping you'd walk in!"

Oh damn! That would explain why they were closed. A black male walked in and asked the male barrister for a couple of bucks. He said no and the male put a bag on the counter and pulled out a gun. Not only did he rob the Starbucks, he robbed the customers there too, relieving one woman of her laptop computer. They told me the robber was caught which is a good thing. I always try to look inside the store before I enter so as not to walk into a robbery but those damn windows are so dark.

Rest In Peace Deputy Shane Detwiler

AARON REED TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT

Yesterday we lost another officer. Chambers County Deputy Shane Detwiler was shot and killed by a former reserve officer. The shooter was found dead later in the evening saving society the trouble and expense of dealing with him. His insane wife who started the incident by shooting at a utility worker (and father of one of our officers) is in custody as well. Hopefully she will be charged with aggravated assault as well as capitol murder under the law of parties. Deputy Detwiler, rest in peace brother!

Santisima Muerte

Not even a week and twice I've come across Santisima Muerte!

"Shut the Hell Up!"

Not exactly words officers need to be telling people but sometimes they have to be spoken. I was checking by with another officer on a disturbance at an intersection I just passed about thirty minutes prior. I recognized the bum out in the street squeegeeing passing car windows. His name is Mark. He is a crackhead and hangs out with a female crackhead who sits in a wheelchair. Her name is J. She's usually drunk when you see her. She can walk, she likes to use the wheel chair to get sympathy and money. She's been arrested for prostitution, public intoxication, theft, and was caught buying dope in a restaurant parking lot but got lucky and skated on that charge.

Anyway, the call drops and I knew Mark was somehow involved. When we arrive I see Mark chatting with another fellow who sees us and casually walks away. I zero in on him. As I'm trying to get to him the other officer tells me Mark is running down the sidewalk. I forget the other guy and turn left to see Mark running down the sidewalk after two Hispanic males. One of them throws a hand shopping basket and hits Mark in the chest. We corner them all and put them in patrol cars. Now, Mark and J are both animated. A little history first. J used to see another guy when Mark showed up. The other guy is in prison for stabbing Mark, who is now the new boyfriend. Both of them are animated. They cannot have a rational conversation. They have to shout their point across. J alternates between shouting, crying, and then laughing. Mark is screaming the two Hispanics were trying to proposition J for sex. Given her history of prostitution it's not far fetched. J wheels her ass up screaming she's scared. I have to shout at both of them "shut the hell up!" just to get a word in edge wise. The two Hispanics say they were talking amongst themselves when J went off on them and called to Mark who came after them wielding his squeegee like a samurai sword. I can believe that too. The tattoos on one of the Hispanics get my attention. He's got a prison tattoo on his leg and a Santa Muerte tattoo on his arm. Oh wow, I just learned about her in Corpus Christi. It's odd to see it here. I try to get him to talk about it. Although he seems surprised that I know what it is he doesn't want to talk. Well, since this is a disturbance between crackheads and illegal aliens there is no one to root for. No charges are filed and everyone is told to get lost.

Corpus Day 5

Six-thirty in the morning is still early! However my neck wasn't burning. The morning session was about the Russian mafia. Conceptually the Russian mafia is different than the Italian mafia that everyone is familiar with. The speaker lived in Russia during the 1980s, the peak of its communism. It was rather eye opening. Since the state runs the economy and dictates the salary everyone makes, there are no incentives to work hard (is this concept sounding familiar to anyone). He spoke of having to bribe doormen of hotels and restaurants just to set foot in the door and then pay for the service. This is the road we're heading down with our government. Makes me more annoyed that half the population fell for the hype during the election. I guess that means half the people would buy a bright, shiny, fancy looking car without even taking it for a test drive if they are given the right line.

Anyhow....

Then came the next breakout session and I took perhaps the most interesting class I've ever taken. It was about the Mexican drug traffickers and their spiritual beliefs. I had seen Jesus Malverde before. However, I never heard of Santisma Muerte. For an interesting read, click here. The detective teaching it had pictures of shrines and artifacts of these icons being used and prayed to for protection from rival drug runners and police. Of course these serve as a good indicator that the person who has it, also has (or had) drugs. To someone on the outside, it looks like these guys ripped off aspects from the Catholic church since Catholicism is the predominant faith in Mexico. I wonder if these guys secretly worry they know their actions (kidnapping, rape, murder, etc) will earn them a one way ticket to hell and came up with this cult in an attempt for redemption. They pray to these icons for charms, spells etc. including harm coming to others (i.e. law enforcement). They offer gifts for these icons for their wishes. Thus sharing something with voodoo. People leave offerings to voodoo spirits (like Marie Laveau). However, voodoo warns about placing curses or wishing ill on others because the ill will come back on the caster three fold. I guess the Mexican drug gangs decided to omit that from their beliefs. This is something I will look more into. In fact, last night (later post) I found a guy with a St. Muerte tattoo on his arm.