Chief James slowly turned his gaze to Perry. Officer Perry, you are currently under investigation for false arrest, excessive force, and falsifying a police report. If you attempt to obstruct the collection of evidence, I will personally add tampering with evidence and insubordination to your charges, and I will have Sergeant Miller place you in the very cell you just pulled my daughter out of. detached the camera. Perry swallowed hard. The absolute certainty in the chief's voice paralyzed him.
With trembling fingers, he unclipped his own camera and set it on the booking desk. "Now, " James commanded, his voice echoing off the cinder block walls. "I want Captain Richard Donovan from internal affairs on the phone. Wake him up. Tell him to get a strike team down here immediately. and sergeant.
Confiscate officer Perry's duty weapon and his badge. He is officially stripped of his police powers pending investigation. A collective gasp sucked the remaining air out of the room. A summary suspension on the spot was practically unheard of. It bypassed the union, bypassed the precinct commander, and went straight to the nuclear option.
You can't do this, Perry protested, his voice cracking as panic finally overwhelmed his ego. I have rights. I want my PBA representative. I followed procedure. She was swerving.
She was uncooperative. Save it for IIA, Bernard. A new voice interrupted. From the corner of the room, Officer Greg Harrison finally found his spine. The young rookie, who had spent the last 6 months silently enduring pertoxic bravado and aggressive tactics, stepped forward.
His face was pale, but his voice was remarkably steady. "She wasn't swerving, Chief, " Harrison said, looking directly at Dimitar James. "Shut your mouth, rookie, " Perry roared, lunging a half step forward before freezing under the chief's lethal glare. Harrison ignored his training officer. He looked at Maya, offering a subtle nod of apology, then looked back at the chief.
We were tailing her for four blocks. She was driving perfectly. Officer Perry stated he wanted to quote, "see what this one was doing in our neighborhood. " He fabricated the failure to maintain a lane on Fourth and Elm. I knew Fourth was a one-way, but I didn't correct him.
When she cited the law, he escalated. The arrest was retaliatory, sir. Completely punitive. The silence that followed Harrison's confession, was absolute. Perry stared at his partner, his mouth opening and closing like a suffocating fish, the betrayal severing his last lifeline.
The blue wall of silence, the toxic code that Perry had relied on for 10 years to protect his worst impulses had just shattered into a million pieces. "Thank you, Officer Harrison, " Chief James said, his tone softening just a fraction. "Your honesty has been noted. Please wait in the briefing room. Internal affairs will need your official statement.