by Woodsbum
This last weekend I had a bit of excitement. We had just closed down the bar and were waiting for the streets to clear out a bit before we walked to our vehicles to head home. As we sat there talking there were multiple gunshots fired right across the street in a bank parking lot. We then watched all the drunks running away from the gunfire in their clubbing gear and high heels. Various cars and trucks went speeding away and one large service truck ended up rear ending a parked car as all the occupants were ducking and looking around for the gunman.
When we called 911, the operator argued with us that the vehicle accident was a “hit and run” and then argued that the gunfire was actually just “fireworks.” Several minutes of trying to set them straight took place and they finally promised to send out a patrolman.
The patrolman finally arrived numerous minutes later (10-15) and slowly drive past the scene, no lights and more focused on the computer screen than paying attention to the guys in the wrecked vehicles waiving their arms and yelling at him to stop. He then drove around for several minutes and then parked his car in the road at the intersection, again without lights or anything. He just parked their and started to look around on the ground.
Since he appeared to be looking for cartridge casings, someone from the truck that hit the car tried to direct the police officer to the spot where the shots came from. The cop ignored him and just kept wandering around all the cross streets. After the second cop showed up and they were still looking in the wrong area, ignoring those that witnessed the shooting, I finally got fed up and left before I got involved out of irritation.
About 45 minutes after I left I got a text from someone I was with when the shots were fired that confirmed 10 .40 cal casings were recovered. It appears that the cops finally figured out how to follow the pointing fingers to the location that the shots were fired.
The real insult in this whole thing is as follows: Above and beyond having to argue with the 911 operator that the gunshots were fireworks and the accident was a hit and run, the news has yet to report it. There is nothing on any local news site. If a shooting takes place downtown and in the parking lot of a closed bank, don’t you think that might be news worthy?
It just blows my mind that this sort of crap takes place and no one in “authority” really gives a crap. I guess I have a reason to wear my body armor next weekend, don’t I?