She felt the heavy cold steel of the handcuffs clamp down violently on her left wrist, biting into her skin. I'm putting you in cuffs for my safety. Dunn sneered, wrenching her arm behind her back with unnecessary force to secure the right wrist. Since you want to be uncooperative, we're going to search this vehicle. I smell marijuana.
It was a blatant, desperate lie. A fabricated probable cause to justify an illegal search. You do not have my consent to search this vehicle, Valerie stated clearly, her cheek resting near the wet metal of the roof. And for the record, neither of us smokes, nor has marijuana ever been in this car. Yeah, we'll see about that," Dunn muttered, patting down her pockets aggressively.
Finding nothing but a pack of tissues, he grabbed her by the upper arm and marched her toward the front of his cruiser, leaving her standing in the pouring rain, illuminated only by the blinding headlights. Dunn unclipped the radio mic from his shoulder. He was feeling incredibly arrogant, completely assured of his power on this dark, isolated road. He pressed the button. Dispatch, this is unit 4.
I've got a non-compliant female detained on County Route 9, mile marker 14, requesting backup for a vehicle search. Suspect is hostile. Run a 27/29 on a Valerie Covington. C-O-V-I-N-G-T-O-N. Inside the Volvo, Tim sat frozen, the camera still rolling, capturing the surreal, horrifying scene of a sitting superior court judge standing handcuffed in the freezing rain.
Tim didn't dare say a word. He knew what was about to happen. He knew what happened when dispatch ran that name through the state database. For 10 agonizing seconds, the police radio hissed with static. Dunn stood on the side of the road.
A smug grin plastered across his face as he looked at Valerie. We're going to see exactly who you are, Valerie. Let's see what kind of warrants pop up. Valerie just looked back at him, her eyes completely devoid of fear, filled only with a deep, profound pity for the man who had just destroyed his own life. Then the radio cracked to life.
It wasn't the regular dispatcher's voice. The voice that came over the radio was tight, breathless, and laced with absolute panic. Unit 4. Unit 4, this is dispatch. Confirming the name.
Did you say Valerie Covington? That's a copy. Dispatch, Dunn replied lazily. Date of birth. Unit 4.
Hold your transmission. The voice on the radio actually cracked. Officer Dunn, are you detaining Honorable Judge Valerie Covington of the Superior Court. The smug grin on Officer Dunn's face vanished instantly. It was as if all the blood had been drained from his head by a vacuum.