Adrenaline Junkies

By John Musick

“There are no old cops...ever notice that?"
Adrenaline Junkies is a window into the situations that men and women of law enforcement face every
day, from the downright hilarious to the poignant and heartbreaking.
These fourteen true stories are told by the man who personally experienced them during almost a quarter
century of service.
Some will make you laugh, others are sure to bring a tear. John Musick relays his experiences with a humor
and humanity unique in the "true crime" genre.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781716571633

Book preview

Adrenaline Junkies

John Musick

Adrenaline Junkies

Copyright © 1998; 2022 by John Musick, Margaret Musick

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole

or in part without the express permission of the author’s estate.

ISBN: 978-1-716-57163-3

First printing:  2022

A Warning; this book contains real stories of one officer’s experiences in police work. Names, places, and events are told exactly as they occurred and may be disturbing to some readers.

Table of Contents

Foreword by David Bench

Adrenaline Junkies

Chapter 1 BAPTISM

Chapter 2 AGONY

Chapter 3 HARD LOVE

Chapter 4 PURSUIT

Chapter 5 The Killer Weed

Chapter 6 Bravado

Chapter 7 The Bonus Check

Chapter 8 Cheating The Reaper

Chapter 9 Death Grip

Chapter 10 Pots, Pans, Pups, Police, Pain

Chapter 11 No Pain…No Gain

Chapter 12 Zephyr

Chapter 13 Fired Up

Chapter 14 Shift Change

Chapter 15 Mc Stupid

Foreword

I first met John Musick in the summer of 1978 or ‘79 at a western national mountain man rendezvous. For those who don’t know, this is a reenactment of the annual gatherings of fur trappers in the early 19th century. Fur trappers would come out of the mountains to trade the furs they had collected all winter for staples and supplies to get them through the following year’s trapping. Modern-day Rocky Mountain Rendezvous and other reenacted events are both history-oriented and social occasions; a place to catch up with old friends, share a drink or two (or three), and at night enjoy music around a campfire in the company of like-minded individuals.

John was well known as Big Step in the mountain man community—a tall scarecrow of a man clad in leather and fur from head to foot. He played the fiddle and had an infectious laugh you could hear across the camp.

I was an awkward teen trying to find where I fit in. I played the guitar, though I wasn’t very accomplished at the time, and was therefore uncomfortable playing in front of large groups. John and his friends took me under their wings and encouraged me; I found my place among their group of Cat Soldiers and began a nearly twenty-year friendship.

I had no idea John was a police officer when I met him (he certainly didn’t look like a cop in his beard, fur hat, and moccasins). I found out years later during quiet conversations as we sat in a shady spot out of the hot sun. I also discovered he was a veteran, an accomplished artist, and had a razor-sharp wit.

John met the love of his life, Margie, at a rendezvous a year or two later, and I was honored to be invited to attend their wedding in the mountains. The two were inseparable from that point until his untimely death at fifty-five. I think it was the happiest I have ever seen him. John would always gather wildflowers each year at the rendezvous to mark their anniversary.

In recent months, a series of high-profile cases involving the action of a few individuals has cast a negative light on all members of law enforcement. It’s important to remember that for every bad apple, hundreds of men and women place themselves in harm’s way daily to keep their families, friends, and communities safe. John Musick was one such individual. He did a difficult job and kept his professionalism, his sense of humor, and his humanity intact.

Long before most people heard of true crime celebrities Joe Kenda or Paula Zahn, John had the idea of sharing his stories with the public, people whose understanding of police work likely came from Barney Miller or Hill Street Blues. He wanted to give others an all-access pass to see just what lies behind that thin blue line. He managed to catalog fifteen stories on seventy-five double-spaced typewritten pages (kids, go ask Grandma what a typewriter is) before his unexpected death at only fifty-five. But those fifteen stories are gritty, heart-wrenching, sometimes hilarious, and above all—they’re REAL.

Margie tried for years to get his stories published, but although John’s writing received high praise, no publisher would take it on because it was too short or unfinished. I offered to help her self-publish through a company I’d previously worked with. Another friend of John’s, Bob Woodall, volunteered to scan the pages to text so I could format them without having to re-type them myself. (Thanks, Bob!) I also included several cartoons Margie sent that John was known to doodle on the blank pages during long police training classes.

It’s hard to explain the kind of person John Musick was to those who weren’t fortunate enough to know him. He was extraordinarily humble and never thought of himself as a great man, although he was. But he was also a good man. He saw the best in everyone and loved his friends with all his heart. He enjoyed playing his fiddle, telling stories, and being outdoors.

John was a special individual, and I’m proud to say he was my friend.

We’re not likely to see another like him.

--David Snoshu Bench

ADRENALINE JUNKIES

There are no old cops, ever notice that? These words were spoken to me by a very close friend who is a veteran of many years as a Colorado State patrolman. Food for thought. He was right, the nature of police work slowly but surely eats away at those who perform it, it’s an addiction.

This book is about that addiction…the ungodly boredom, the sheer terror, the compassion, anger, sadness, and unbelievable hilarity that policemen experience on a daily basis.  There are many reasons why men and women enter this line of work, but in time they become adrenaline junkies, hooked on the heady stuff born of danger and excitement. I truly believe that is what keeps cops in the business. No day is ever the same. Adventure!

The stories contained herein are true recollections from my career in law enforcement, which to this point has spanned sixteen years with two different agencies.

I dedicate this book to policemen everywhere. Without them, the society we live in would surely be nothing more than a zoo. There is truly a thin blue line.

--- John Musick

BAPTISM

In the summer of 1969, the city of Arvada, Colorado, was looking for a police patrolman. I answered an ad in a local newspaper for the position. The idea came on the heels of a dare from friends during a philosophical beer-drinking session one evening. I am not a