Routine patrol is anything but routine

We have all said the phrase, “We were on routine patrol.” Law enforcement work is becoming anything but routine these days especially for the Tennessee Wildlife Officer. Whether it be walking up marijuana grows while looking for bait, finding meth being manufactured on state waters, encountering  access area “users” with illegal drugs, paraphernalia, or weapons, our job is becoming increasingly dangerous every time we get in our trucks and go “10-8.”

On the afternoon of June 2, 2012 Boating Officer Eddie Carter and I headed up to Dale Hollow Lake for “routine patrol” on Dale Hollow Lake. Boating under the influence of alcohol and drugs had been becoming a frequent problem on the water and so like any boating officer we thought Saturday evening would be “prime pickins.” After slipping our patrol boat into the water at Mitchell Creek Marina we eased out of the “No Wake Zone” and inspected a pontoon boat that had several children onboard who were not wearing lifejackets. I will never understand a parent who does not make their young children and babies wear their lifejacket. Dale Hollow is well over 100 feet deep in many places and it only takes one quick accident and………I cringe at the thought of it. After explaining to the adults the importance of the personal flotation device we continued on out towards the lower end of the lake. The lake was unusually slow that evening. A 2006 yellow Supra caught our eye as it sped down the lake towards the dam. We began to ride our vessel at about the same speed as the Supra to inspect the vessel at a distance for possible violations. Another child was spotted in the vessel and we could not see a PFD on him. Turning our blue lights and siren on we tried to initiate a stop. The man who was driving and the female occupant continued to look forward as if they had no clue we were even around. I operated our patrol vessel closer to the Supra. The female occupant finally looked over at us and with a huge “we are not doing anything wrong please do not stop us” smile and wave she turned back towards the front and the boat continued on its course. I forgot to mention my partner Eddie Carter and I seem to automatically know what the other is thinking and we both looked at each other and knew we had something. Officer Carter leaned out and yelled at the man to stop the vessel who never looked up. The woman passenger finally leaned over to the man driving and the boat came to a stop.

Beginning the safety inspection Officer Carter asked the boat “captain” whom we will call Bill (to protect the guilty) to produce several items. The woman occupant began to look for those things while Phil remained seated looking like a statue. The woman seemed very nervous as did Bill. Smelling the odor of alcohol on Bill asked him if he had been drinking to which he replied he had 4 beers. “Please put a lifejacket on Bill and get into our boat,” stated Officer Carter. After 5 minutes of trying to get his lifejacket on the woman finally helped him and hesitantly he got into our patrol vessel. We pushed off from the Supra to have Bill perform a series of field sobriety tests to determine his level of intoxication. Bill became immediately uncomfortable and began squirming in the seat and tried to stand up several times. We both told him to stay in his seat and do not get up. After he tried to perform the tests we could tell that Bill was highly impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. We told him that we had to take him to shore to perform a couple more tasks for us. Bill told us that he had a job that he could not have any alcohol charges against him and was there any way we could just let him go. Explaining that we could not, he tried to stand up several times and we could tell things were getting just a little “squirrely.” I radioed to Sergeant Bill Moulton and told him we needed him 5 minutes ago and to hurry towards our location to sit with the Supra so we could get to the bank. I brought our patrol boat up on plane and headed towards Cedar Hill Marina. Sometimes as an officer people give you a funny feeling and at this point this guy was giving me one. I told Eddie as we approached the “No Wake Zone” to watch our detained passenger because he might try to run once we get to the shore. No sooner did I say that did Bill jump up, unzip his lifejacket, and take off running towards the front of our patrol boat and try to “walk the plank” while the vessel was still on plane. I always kid Eddie that he has cat-like reflexes to be such a stout guy. Like a cheetah, Eddie pounced on Bill just before he “man over boarded.” Phil had one leg and one arm over the side of the boat and Officer Carter was hanging onto him trying not to go overboard himself. I knew I had to get the boat out of gear in a hurry, but as most boats do until the boat comes to a rest it will not slip out of gear. With the vessel off-plane but still in gear I ran to Officer Carter and grabbed Bill. We all came crashing into the center console. Bill became irate and began trying to throw us both out of our patrol boat. Grabbing one arm I managed to get one “cuff” on his arm. Reaching around I cut the motor off and Officer Carter and I both took him to the bottom of the boat and handcuffed him. Whew! Now it is one thing to have an altercation with someone on dry land. But Eddie and I are here to tell you it is a different monster when you are on a boat and it is in gear! What in the world was this guy’s problem? I radioed to Clay County and told them we needed backup and EMS at the boat ramp. Sergeant Moulton radioed us and said he had tried to call us on our cell phone and let us know that the woman passenger said our passenger was suicidal. He had been drinking for 5 days straight and tried to kill himself the night before with a handgun but she talked him out of pulling the trigger! That piece of information would have been good to know before things went “South.”

Clay County deputies finally arrived as well as EMS who cleaned up everyone’s wounds and the boat where there was a good amount of blood from the altercation. Bill was taken to Clay County Jail and we later found out that our arrestee had offered the deputy a good amount of money just to open the door and let him leave. Eddie and I eased back out of the “No Wake Zone” towards Mitchell Creek to meet the officers at the jail. Emotions went from high to low as the adrenaline dump kicked in. It was as if we both realized at the same time that things could have turned out much worse!

Like any experiences on the job you learn from them. I know I learned several things that day. First, I learned it is important to work with a partner that you trust and that you know if “crap hits the fan” that he is going to be “ALL IN!” I learned Eddie was that kind of partner. Second, I learned that each and every day we go “10-7 station R” is a day you should be thankful that the Lord brought you home to your family safely. And third, I learned that every day that you go “10-8,” you better really be “10-8” because routine patrol is anything but routine!

(Bill ended up checking himself into rehab not too long after the incident and successfully completed the program. He later plead guilty to Boating Under the Influence and Assault. Because he completed his alcohol program the charges will be expunged at the end of his diversionary period. Sometimes I have to remind myself that people have real problems and they are not always in the right state of mind when you come into contact with them. Without a doubt, even though he put our lives in danger, I know that incident was a wakeup call for him and probably saved his life. Who knows what would have happened to him or his family that night if we had not contacted him, and that gives me satisfaction knowing we may have made a difference!