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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Drama / Human Interest
- Subject: Death / Heartbreak / Loss
- Published: 06/27/2021
A Shot Rang Out
Born 1960, M, from Orange Park, FL, United States.png)
A shot rang out! The man looked down at his chest, his denim shirt had already begun turning a dark crimson color. He had a look of shock and bewilderment on his face as he looked back at the Police Officer that shot him.
Jim peered into the wide black pupils of the dying man and could not help but feel he was getting a final glimpse into the man’s soul. A glimpse which caused him to immediately second guess what he had just done! He stood motionless, watching as the man’s life force drained away and his body slumped to its knees where it then fell face down onto the floor. A pool of blood immediately spread out from beneath his body as though making its own desperate attempt to cling to life itself. As the blood spread across the classroom floor, the mass of whimpering children the man had been standing over clutched at each other and began to cry even louder.
As Jim began to lower his service weapon, a bright flash of light came from just inside the room and to the left of the doorway where Jim was standing. At nearly point-blank range the bullet struck Jim in the lower left quadrant of his rib cage. Although he was wearing a Kevlar vest it still hurt like hell. As Jim turned towards the threat, he found himself staring into the man’s cold black eyes. Eyes he found noticeably and completely devoid of emotion. A condition Jim would later describe in his statement, “It was as if the lights were on, but no one was home!” He had seen this before but only when a suspect was on Acid, or their mind had just plain snapped!
It was then Jim’s training kicked in. Without thinking he stepped back with his right foot and simultaneously pushed the man away with his left hand. This caused his weight to shift onto his back leg. As Jim’s body canted backwards, he allowed his elbow to bend bringing the muzzle of his weapon directly in line for a center of mass shot. It would later be revealed the shot entered directly beneath the man’s rib cage at an upwards angle effectively piercing the center of the man’s heart. As his body struck the floor it made a sound like that a sack of potatoes would make. He was dead!
This was the first time Jim had used his service weapon on another human being. As with all Police involved shootings, especially when an officer of high moral character is involved, as the adrenaline subsided, he felt sick. Jim would replay the memory of their death repeatedly during the coming hours, reliving the instant over and over in his mind. It was the way their eyes looked the moment he took their life! Somehow, he just could not make sense of why they looked so different!
According to Department Policy Jim would be suspended pending an investigation. This was mandatory for all Police involved shootings whether they appeared justified or not. Jim had given his Captain his badge and service weapon at the Elementary School which was the scene of the shooting. After being treated at the hospital for the minor injuries he had sustained, he returned to the station to file a written report, then went home.
That night Jim sat in his home office nursing a glass of bourbon, still struggling to make sense of what happened. Wondering whether he could have done anything different. It all seemed so senseless. He could not understand how these men could use firearms to take out their grievances on human beings let alone school children.
Jim thought about the terrified looks he had seen on the children’s faces as they huddled together in utter terror. These children had witnessed something horrible, something that would haunt their dreams for the rest of their lives, many of them forever after suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He contributed to that; he was responsible, the catalyst, the bad actor, the one who would each night emerge from the darkest recesses of their mind to reenact the horror they had witnessed and again instill their hearts with fear. The guilt, the grief, washed over Jim as a wave does on a sandy beach, and he began to cry, as hard and as loud as the children had in that classroom! As he cried, he opened his top desk drawer and pulled out the three fifty-seven revolver he kept there. It was then the phone rang.
Jim quickly set the revolver down and pulled out his handkerchief to wipe his tears. The phone continued to ring as he attempted to regain his composure. Finally, he was able to calm himself enough and muster the strength to answer.
It was Captain Harris; the same one he had turned his weapon over to. He had called to let Jim know the first man he shot was not an active shooter, but the classroom teacher of the children huddled at his feet. The laws in their state not only allowed teachers to carry concealed weapons but encouraged it, even offering bonuses to those who did. Captain Harris, noticing the silence on the other end of the line said, “Don’t worry Jim, we will get through this. You acted appropriately and according to policy. You have qualified immunity in this case.” Jim hung up the phone. A moment later, A Shot Rang Out!
A Shot Rang Out(Steven W Kimball)
A shot rang out! The man looked down at his chest, his denim shirt had already begun turning a dark crimson color. He had a look of shock and bewilderment on his face as he looked back at the Police Officer that shot him.
Jim peered into the wide black pupils of the dying man and could not help but feel he was getting a final glimpse into the man’s soul. A glimpse which caused him to immediately second guess what he had just done! He stood motionless, watching as the man’s life force drained away and his body slumped to its knees where it then fell face down onto the floor. A pool of blood immediately spread out from beneath his body as though making its own desperate attempt to cling to life itself. As the blood spread across the classroom floor, the mass of whimpering children the man had been standing over clutched at each other and began to cry even louder.
As Jim began to lower his service weapon, a bright flash of light came from just inside the room and to the left of the doorway where Jim was standing. At nearly point-blank range the bullet struck Jim in the lower left quadrant of his rib cage. Although he was wearing a Kevlar vest it still hurt like hell. As Jim turned towards the threat, he found himself staring into the man’s cold black eyes. Eyes he found noticeably and completely devoid of emotion. A condition Jim would later describe in his statement, “It was as if the lights were on, but no one was home!” He had seen this before but only when a suspect was on Acid, or their mind had just plain snapped!
It was then Jim’s training kicked in. Without thinking he stepped back with his right foot and simultaneously pushed the man away with his left hand. This caused his weight to shift onto his back leg. As Jim’s body canted backwards, he allowed his elbow to bend bringing the muzzle of his weapon directly in line for a center of mass shot. It would later be revealed the shot entered directly beneath the man’s rib cage at an upwards angle effectively piercing the center of the man’s heart. As his body struck the floor it made a sound like that a sack of potatoes would make. He was dead!
This was the first time Jim had used his service weapon on another human being. As with all Police involved shootings, especially when an officer of high moral character is involved, as the adrenaline subsided, he felt sick. Jim would replay the memory of their death repeatedly during the coming hours, reliving the instant over and over in his mind. It was the way their eyes looked the moment he took their life! Somehow, he just could not make sense of why they looked so different!
According to Department Policy Jim would be suspended pending an investigation. This was mandatory for all Police involved shootings whether they appeared justified or not. Jim had given his Captain his badge and service weapon at the Elementary School which was the scene of the shooting. After being treated at the hospital for the minor injuries he had sustained, he returned to the station to file a written report, then went home.
That night Jim sat in his home office nursing a glass of bourbon, still struggling to make sense of what happened. Wondering whether he could have done anything different. It all seemed so senseless. He could not understand how these men could use firearms to take out their grievances on human beings let alone school children.
Jim thought about the terrified looks he had seen on the children’s faces as they huddled together in utter terror. These children had witnessed something horrible, something that would haunt their dreams for the rest of their lives, many of them forever after suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He contributed to that; he was responsible, the catalyst, the bad actor, the one who would each night emerge from the darkest recesses of their mind to reenact the horror they had witnessed and again instill their hearts with fear. The guilt, the grief, washed over Jim as a wave does on a sandy beach, and he began to cry, as hard and as loud as the children had in that classroom! As he cried, he opened his top desk drawer and pulled out the three fifty-seven revolver he kept there. It was then the phone rang.
Jim quickly set the revolver down and pulled out his handkerchief to wipe his tears. The phone continued to ring as he attempted to regain his composure. Finally, he was able to calm himself enough and muster the strength to answer.
It was Captain Harris; the same one he had turned his weapon over to. He had called to let Jim know the first man he shot was not an active shooter, but the classroom teacher of the children huddled at his feet. The laws in their state not only allowed teachers to carry concealed weapons but encouraged it, even offering bonuses to those who did. Captain Harris, noticing the silence on the other end of the line said, “Don’t worry Jim, we will get through this. You acted appropriately and according to policy. You have qualified immunity in this case.” Jim hung up the phone. A moment later, A Shot Rang Out!
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