Behind and Beyond the Badge - Volume II: STORIES FROM THE VILLAGE OF FIRST RESPONDERS WITH COPS, FIREFIGHTERS, EMS, DISPATCHERS, FORENSICS, AND VICTIM ADVOCATES

By Donna Brown

In BEHIND AND BEYOND THE BADGE, Volume II, award-winning author Donna Brown
takes you to those places that few see. First responders have opened their hearts and shared what
it’s truly like to do their jobs, their favorite parts and their worst, and the impact it has on their
families. They’re human just like you, a

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donna Brown
• Release date: Mar 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781943106424

Donna Brown

Donna Brown began her twenty- six-year career in law enforcement when women were still relatively new to the profession. Like most new police officers, Donna began her career working the streets answering calls for service. She then started training new recruits and turned that passion into teaching department wide, at the academy, and to community groups. When she was promoted to sergeant, she remained on the streets and continued training new recruits. Career progression moved Donna to the Criminal Investigation Division where she spent fifteen years, ten years supervising the Homicide Unit. Donna received the Tallahassee Police Department'saward for bravery and the inaugural Commander and Chief's Award for Excellence, which at that time was the department's award for Officer of the Year. She was also recognized for her part with the Tallahassee Police Department's team that responded to South Florida days after Hurricane Andrew devastated that area. Donna knows that there is so much more behind the badge that people don't realize or understand. She had spent much of her career speaking to citizen groups in hope of educating and broadening minds about law enforcement. She grew up in Titusville, Florida, when the space industry was flourishing. Return trips are not as frequent as she'd like, but it's a place that she will always consider home. After graduating from Astronaut High School, she moved to Tallahassee, Florida, obtaining her bachelor of science degree from Florida State University in 1979. She's a proud Seminole! Donna is married, and together, they enjoy spending time with their four-legged fur babies, friends, and family, as well as playing golf.

Book preview

"Behind and Beyond the Badge is a fast and most interesting read, especially for someone not directly in the field of law enforcement but works with college students of various ages and backgrounds who aspire to become sworn law enforcement officers. It really struck home with me. Donna Brown presents men and women who have committed themselves to careers ‘in the trenches’ as first responders and clearly shows some of the good, the bad and the ugly of the profession and the important work they do every day. It is an important book, and I hope to have each of my seniors read it as they graduate and embark upon their careers in law enforcement. Behind and Beyond the Badge has a strong message and should be required reading in every Criminal Justice program."

DAVID PERSKY, PH.D., J.D.

Professor of Criminal Justice

Saint Leo University

Retired Homicide Sergeant Donna Brown is a master storyteller. Her book is a captivating read about first responders who share their personal thoughts about working in high-stress positions. If you want to really understand what it’s like to do their jobs, know someone who is thinking about a career as a first responder, or a family member of a first responder, then this book is a must-read.

FLOY TURNER

FDLE Special Agent (Retired)

Best-Selling Author

In Volume II of her award-winning BEHIND AND BEYOND THE BADGE series, Donna Brown once again takes us behind the scenes into the lives of first responders and their families. The no-nonsense approach of her writing lets the individuals’ stories speak for themselves, and they leave indelible impressions on the reader’s mind. Brown’s book covers a wide range of experiences: the day-to-day operations of a sheriff’s department aviation unit, the intensity of dispatch operations, gut-wrenching experiences in highway patrol, and a mother’s grief at the loss of her police sergeant son are just a few of the stories she includes. This book should be required reading for law enforcement academies and criminology departments, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand what the ‘thin blue line’ really means.

A. E. HOWE

Author of the Amazon Best-selling Larry Macklin Mysteries Series

Behind

and

Beyond

the Badge

VOLUME II

MORE STORIES FROM THE VILLAGE OF FIRST

RESPONDERS WITH COPS, FIREFIGHTERS,

EMS, DISPATCHERS, FORENSICS,

AND VICTIM ADVOCATES

DONNA BROWN

Storehouse Media Group, LLC

Jacksonville, FL

BEHIND AND BEYOND THE BADGE Volume II: More Stories from the Village of First Responders with Cops, Firefighters, EMS, Dispatchers, Forensics, and Victim Advocates

Copyright © 2018 by Donna Brown

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email author at email address below and type in subject line: Attention: Permissions Coordinator.

Donna Brown

Tallahassee, Florida 32317

www.BehindAndBeyondTheBadge.com

[e-mail]

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales. Special discounts are available with the author at the email address above and type in subject line Special Sales Department.

Publisher Information:

Storehouse Media Group, LLC

Jacksonville, Florida 32256

[e-mail]

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Cover design by Katie Campbell

Author Photo by Red Fly Studios

Behind and Beyond the Badge Volume II / Donna Brown —1st ed.

ISBN-13: 978-1-943106-40-0 (hardcover)

ISBN-13: 978-1-943106-41-7 (paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-1-943106-42-4 (ebook)

Library of Congress Control Number:  2017940797

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

To those who did the job.

To those who do the job.

To all first responders who have lost their lives doing the job.

To the families left behind.

"We will remember every rescuer who died in honor.

We will remember every family that lives in grief.

We will remember…"

-- George W. Bush --

43rd President of the United States of America

Contents

Introduction

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

1. Sergeant Donna Brown

2. Sergeant Scott Angulo

3. Officer Deborah Powell

4. Lieutenant James Fairfield

5. Corporal Trish England

6. K9 Sergeant David Bell

7. Chief Bob Stewart

8. Commander Susan Jeter

9. Andrew McClenahan

10. Special Agent Alan Lopez

11. Lieutenant Lee Majors

12. Sergeant Tina Haddon

13. Captain Rory Robbins

14. Tonja Bryant-Smith

THE VILLAGE OF FIRST RESPONDERS

15. Betty Green

16. Deputy Chief Mac Kemp

17. Division Chief Andrea Jones

18. Public Safety Communications Operator William Blanton

19. Deputy Director Andy Parker

20. Victim Advocate Melanie Tudor

About the Author DONNA BROWN

Introduction

I wrote the first Behind and Beyond the Badge for a variety of reasons, but there was one underlying thought that was my primary motivator. Police officers and the law enforcement profession as a whole were on the receiving end of predominantly negative media attention. As a twenty-six-year veteran police officer, it hurt and made me sad because I know that overwhelmingly, cops are good people. Most folks see just a badge. Behind and beyond the badge is what people need to know, the person, a person who is no different than they are. They just put on a different uniform to go to work.

Volume I afforded me some amazing opportunities. My favorite has been speaking engagements. I’ve spoken to university criminal justice students and faculty, to civic groups, professional organizations, book clubs, and at book stores. No group or venue has been too large or too small; they’re all opportunities to have open and honest conversations about cops, the law enforcement profession, and all first responders. The dialogue has been eye-opening for me and for the audiences.

With most of those in attendance, two things usually come up. The media and the perception versus reality and the fact that most people really don’t understand. They don’t know what officers and other first responders really do or the toll it takes physically and emotionally. The wonderful thing is that they truly seem to want to know more. Specific tasks, training, work hours/shifts, investigations, forensics……their questions have covered so many topics.

I always ask if they know what happens or could happen when they call for help. The simple and correct answer is that they call and someone comes. But I give them this scenario. First, someone has to answer their phone call and gather critical information. That information is passed onto a dispatcher, who then sends the appropriate unit. For the sake of discussion, I tell them to imagine it is a police officer.

Once that officer arrives, they have to assess the situation quickly. They may notify the dispatcher that they need backup, the fire department, Emergency Medical Services, forensics, a detective, and/or a victim advocate. They’ve made one call for help, and it can result in any or all of those people coming to their aid. As I describe this scenario, I literally see eyes widen and jaws drop. People truly have no idea how this works.

Most people understand that police officers, firefighters, and Emergency Medical Services are first responders but give little thought to others who may not be directly on the front lines but are a crucial part of the process. For fifteen years, I was in charge of various investigative units in our department’s Criminal Investigation Division. Ten of those years I supervised the Homicide Unit and the Victim Advocate Unit. I could have never done my job without all of these other people, and they get very little recognition or credit. They are all what I call the Village of First Responders.

Dispatchers are every first responder’s life line; they’re that calming voice in the dark. They have mastered the art of multi-tasking and save lives. They talk small children through traumatic situations while trying to determine where they are so that they can send help to their injured or sick parent. They talk people through childbirth, choking incidents, and basic first aid, all while trying to keep these folks calm until a first responder arrives. They do all of this without the luxury of sight. While they don’t fear for their personal safety, they do for those on the other end of the radio. They work long shifts, shiftwork, nights, weekends, and holidays. It’s a stressful profession. I could not imagine my books without them being represented.

Television and films have brought the forensic profession to the forefront. But often they are depicted in clean, sterile environments. People know that they respond to crime scenes but really don’t understand what they do or the training it requires. They don’t think about what they see. In order to process a crime scene, they have to get into it. Blood, decaying bodies, body parts, autopsies, they see the results of the worse things that one human being can do to another. They have to set that aside and do their job and do it well. In many departments, they’re on call, work nights, weekends, and holidays. It’s not a job for everyone. My books would not be complete without their representation.

I came from a department that fortunately had a full-time, fully staffed Victim Advocate Unit. They too respond to active crime scenes. They help people who have experienced terrible loss or a traumatic event and often work with them through the criminal justice system process. Many remain in contact with their victims for years. Our victim advocates were on call and worked nights, weekends, and holidays too. Does anyone ever call a victim advocate when they’re having a good day? No, they too deal with the dark side of reality. I feel for departments that don’t have such a unit, but for me, they will always be a part of the Village of First Responders.

In my first book, I included a woman whose husband was killed in the line of duty. For this book, I have included a mother whose son was killed in the line of duty, one of my coworkers. The public often sees the initial news when an officer is killed and maybe a little about the funeral, but then life goes on. For these families left behind, life goes on too, but the hurt and pain is always with them, just like anyone else who has lost a cherished family member. I had to include them in my books.

Because of the discussions with various groups, I’ve taken this book and the stories a little deeper. The folks in the first book opened their hearts and shared some amazing thoughts. I’ve asked the people in this book to do the same in describing career-defining moments, the training it takes to do their jobs, the best part of their jobs and the most difficult. They also bared their souls, and their words are at times gut-wrenchingly honest. I can’t thank them enough for their willingness to be a part of this book and to help get my intended message out there. First responders are first and foremost human.

Volume I of Behind and Beyond the Badge won two gold medals in nonfiction categories in the Florida Authors and Publishers President’s Book Awards, a national competition. It was a sign for me that the word is getting out.

My books may not have the power to change minds, but by offering a different perspective, perhaps I can open them!

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

C:\Users\Donna\Pictures\Wedding Photos Red Fly\dl_0522.jpg

Sergeant Donna Brown

Tallahassee Police Department

Retired: Twenty-Six Years of Service

When I wrote Volume One of Behind and Beyond the Badge, I had no intention of including my story in the book. Those who know best about writing a book encouraged me to write something about myself. Injecting my story would provide credibility because I know its topic well.

As I have told those included within these pages, writing about yourself is difficult, and it is for me as well. But the feedback that I received from Volume One has been amazing with a consistent theme. People don’t know what goes on behind and beyond the badge, but they truly want to know more – more detail and more personal thoughts from those who do and have done the job.

For this reason, I’ve asked those in this book to dig a little deeper in talking about the job they do or did do. I thought it only fair that I do the same.

I graduated from Florida State University (FSU) in August 1979 with a bachelor of science degree in criminology. In truth, I had no desire to become a police officer; I wanted to just springboard straight to investigator and work with kids, but every job to which I applied rejected me. They only wanted applicants who had three to five years of law enforcement experience.

One day, I was just about tapped out of money. Then I saw an ad in the local newspaper—the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) was hiring. I applied. The hiring process wasn’t what it is today, but it included a background investigation, a polygraph, a physical examination, an interview, and physical agility tests. I had to run, lift, carry, and pull exactly what the male applicants had to do. It wasn’t easy, but I passed.

That October, TPD hired me, and I went on to attend the police academy.

At that time, I was one of only five women at our department of nearly one hundred fifty officers. (Our department now has over 400 sworn officers.) Upon completion of the academy, I returned to TPD and began my training. Female police officers were still a new concept to the department and to the city of Tallahassee as a whole, which provided for interesting times and challenges.

I was assigned to a squad with a mixture of young officers and those with more experience. My sergeant had been on the job for many years, as had my shift lieutenant.

The first training officer I was assigned was younger, and I was the first new officer he had been tasked with training. While I learned from him, it was a rocky road. My sergeant and some of the other officers recognized this, and I was eventually switched to a veteran officer. He was a no-nonsense guy but believed in doing the right thing, all the time, and treated everyone with respect. Those things, along with his work ethic, set the tone for my career.

Nothing but a Bloody Nose

I completed my training and attained solo status, meaning that I was assigned to a patrol zone and began answering calls for service on my own. While working one day, I was sent as a backup officer to a domestic call. Probable cause was established to take the husband into custody, but he was not keen on going to jail. A physical altercation ensued, and eventually he was handcuffed and taken into custody.

When it was over, the primary officer told me my nose was bleeding. I didn’t even realize it. Our sergeant arrived on scene and asked if I was okay. I told him yes, completed our paperwork for the arrest, and finished my shift.

When I came to work the next day, my sergeant again asked if I was okay. My answer was the same: yes. He recapped my last twenty-four hours: I had endured a bloody nose, didn’t cry, didn’t go home, and I came back to work the next day ready for my shift. Apparently, I had passed the test, and I had been accepted.

Community Acceptance

While finally being accepted by my peers, it took the community a bit longer. I was dispatched to a bar fight at one of our finer local establishments. One individual was still on the scene; the other had left.

When I arrived, I was met by a gentleman whose face had been rather bloodied. While he told me what had transpired, a second officer arrived. When he saw the other officer, a male, he told me, Oh good, a real police officer is here, and immediately went to him and began telling his story. This officer told the gentleman that he needed to go back and talk to me as I was the primary officer and would be assisting him.

He continued to argue that he only wanted to talk to the real police officer. I said nothing. The other officer looked at me and said we both needed to leave; apparently this gentleman didn’t need our assistance. Again, I said nothing, but we both walked to our respective police cars.

The gentleman began asking where we were going, stating that we couldn’t leave without helping him. The other officer told him that either he would speak to me, or we were, in fact, leaving. He kept looking at both of us and finally agreed to talk with me.

I’ve often looked back at those early times and truly believe they helped shape me, not only as a police officer, but as a person. I was judged on my gender and size, not on my knowledge or skill. I vowed that I would never approach or treat someone in that manner, at work or in my personal life. While not perfect, I feel that philosophy served me well, and still does.

I ask everyone in the book to tell me about what they consider to be a career-defining moment for them. For some it has been obvious and easy to talk about; for others, just the opposite. In my first book, I personally talked about two situations that stood out to me. I purposefully left the following scenario out. I’ve mentioned it to a few people over the years but have never really talked about the enormous impact it had on me. It, too, helped shape the rest of my career.

A Close Call

It was a normal day at work. A call went out over the radio that an armed robbery had just occurred at a business. I wasn’t far from the location and advised dispatch that I would respond. They provided a description of the suspect and his clothing and that he had a firearm.

Instead of taking some of the main roads to the business, I decided to take an alternate route through a nearby neighborhood. A person matching the description came running around a corner and almost hit my patrol car. I stopped, advised dispatch of my location and that I was now in foot pursuit.

Imagine running as fast as you can, wearing thirty pounds of gear, and trying to talk on the police radio letting dispatch and other officers know where you are and what direction you’re heading. I caught up to the suspect. He had boxed himself in with nowhere to go.

Knowing he was allegedly armed, I focused on him and his hands. His back was to me, but his arms were in front of him. I couldn’t see his hands. I had drawn my service weapon and began giving him verbal commands, telling him to raise his hands and get on the ground. I told dispatch that I had the suspect cornered at gunpoint. When they asked me exactly where I was, I couldn’t tell them. A huge mistake.

The suspect slowly turned to face me, a gun in his right hand by his side. He kept looking around as if trying to find a way to escape. There was no place for me to take cover; we were facing each other about thirty feet apart. Another mistake.

He continued to ignore my commands. I was yelling at him to drop the gun. I could feel my finger on the trigger; I was slowly beginning to pull it back. My heart was pounding. I was still yelling at him.

In an instant, he dropped the gun and got on the ground, face down. A fellow officer had heard me yelling the commands and found me. At that point, the suspect complied with every command, and he was taken into custody.

For the next few days I remember replaying that situation over and over in my mind. What could I or should I have done differently, better? While I had drawn my service weapon many times before that, this was the first time I had pointed it at another human being knowing that I could and would take his life. It wasn’t just that thought that struck me.

Had he chosen differently, I would have chosen differently, and both of our lives would have been changed forever. It was also the realization of the enormous responsibility that comes with taking the oath and wearing the badge. Every choice and decision I made as a police officer had a direct impact on someone’s life. Decisions we make as police officers can and are life-altering, not just for the people we encounter, good and bad, but also for ourselves.

I never again took that authority and responsibility lightly.

When I see the actions of police officers scrutinized in the media, I think back to that day. If you’ve never been a police officer, if you’ve never been in that situation, if you’ve never been faced with making a split-second decision like that, you don’t know. And you can’t know.

A few years later, I became a field training officer teaching new recruits and then transferred to our department’s Training Unit. I was promoted to sergeant in 1985 and served as a field training sergeant until my transfer to