Too Many Police With Too Many Toys
By James Donahue
It was bound to happen.
Police in Port Angeles, Washington, surrounded a house after receiving
a report of a suicidal woman inside brandishing a knife.
Instead of knocking on
the door and making contact, these cops arrived in numerous cars, surrounded the house with all of their latest technology.
Local police and county deputies were involved. One officer watching the back door was equipped with an assault rifle, just
in case . . . of what we will probably never know. Remember, the police were there to try to prevent this woman from doing
harm to herself.
More cops arrived, and
so did local fire fighters and a State Police bomb squad. The street was cordoned off. Officers cautiously approached the
house, using a “throw phone” to communicate. When there was no response they pulled out the old bullhorn siren.
In the meantime, neighbors
came out to watch. As local television and radio stations picked up on the story, people from all over town started gathering
to watch the drama.
The house stood silent.
There was no answers to the police orders for the woman to come out of the house. So the bomb squad sent in a robot to have
a look around.
The house was empty.
Police cleared the scene
that evening after what had been a five-hour-long standoff against a phantom.