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KMA 438

May 1, 2013
Russ Gordon

By Russ Gordon

I am sure I speak for all my brothers and sisters in the SFPD in extending our deepest condolences and prayers to all those effected in the Boston Marathon incident.  I personally hope justice prevails and no other law enforcement officers, citizens, or visitors to Boston suffer any more from the acts of cowards.

And now, ladies and gents here is KMA 438 for May 2013.

Tenderloin Station – January 2013. An elderly man, who by all accounts never bothered anybody and was a fixture in the downtown area selling newspapers, was brutally murdered by an individual who thought it necessary to body slam this man to the pavement and run away like a coward.  A major investigation ensued.  

Sergeants Joe McCloskey and Bill Bush realize that they had detained a man matching the description of this coward weeks earlier.  The sergeants canvass the area and speak with neighborhood merchants, giving them a description of the suspect and asking the public to help catch him. The sergeants advise anyone who sees this suspect to call the police so he can be questioned about his participation in such a heinous act.  Well, as it happens all so often, a brave citizen who had been informed as to the request calls the police after seeing the suspect in the downtown area.  Officers Thomas Coffaro and Kevin O’Leary responded to the area and found the suspect.  Not only did he match the MURDER suspect to a tee, but also had outstanding warrants for his arrest.   There was “enough” to book him on the murder of an innocent senior citizen.  A tragedy will hopefully have a just ending with a life sentence.

Tenderloin Station - Officers are dispatched on a call of a man with a gun.   Oooo snizzle (a higher form of Oooo snap).  A man with a gun; read on!  Officers Rich Cibotti and Viet Ha respond to the area and recognize the description of the gun-touting criminal.  With a companion in tow, the firearm suspect(s) starts to walk away when seeing the police, no doubt because they were scared.  At this time Sergeant Joe Barretta, Officer Sylvia Lang, and Sergeant Alex Rodatos respond as back up.  Officer Ha drew his firearm and ordered one of “gentleman” to stop, handcuffed him, and finds what might be methamphetamines on his person during a search.  Officer Cibotti goes after the other suspect.  With weapon drawn, Officer Cibotti draws down on the other suspect.  At first, the suspect submits to the officer’s demands.  Then, after the personnel at the scene have the suspect under control, they discover he has an ASSAULT WEAPON in his waistband with 25 bullets in the weapon.  Well, at this time the big dummy starts to resists his inevitable arrest.  It took all the police present to get him inside of a police radio car.  What might have happened to a competing drug dealer, an innocent citizen, or an officer who came across this psycho if not arrested?  Maybe this suspect will reap the wrath of the criminal justice system for having a real assault weapon and not a private citizen with a hunting rifle?   I spoke with Sergeant Barretta about this incident.  Apparently the armed suspect had jammed the weapon into the ribs of another citizen before the police arrived and was already on probation.  Truly, what might have happened?

Bayview Station – Here is quick one for you.  Officer Gerald Lyons is conducting a surveillance operation trying to capture a domestic violence suspect.  Well wouldn’t  ya know it, Rotarian of the Year, our hero and not the suspect in mind, starts to break into a truck right in the view of Officer Lyons.  Please fella, I’m not even looking for you!  After watching our car burglar do his thing, take out a spark plug, break the window, steal property, look around with that – vacuous no synapse firing look- then walk away.  The troops were called in, wrapped our hero up and he was later BOOKED.

Central Station – Another rapid fire story from the streets.  Officers Lum and Carew respond to a call for service regarding yet another car burglary.  Upon arrival, the officers find the cat burglar of the year, trapped like a rat inside of a commercial vehicle.  Apparently, some of the brave citizens of San Francisco spotted our hero looking with great interest at the truck in question.  You got it!  He pops the locks and then attempts to gather as many packages as possible before his escape.  The citizens, who I might add were brave but probably not aware of the danger they were in for buglers these days are known to carry weapons (guns), kept the doors of the truck closed not allowing the escape of this coward.  The cops arrive, the citizens back off, the bad guy’s arrested, and the packages delivered.  Great job, and a quick response from the officers, plus teamwork from our citizens.

Central Station – A citizen minding his own business is driving a taxi on the streets of San Francisco.  The driver picks up a fare and becomes immediately suspicious and concerned because of the paranoid and nervous behavior of his passenger.  Well, his spidy sense was confirmed.  When arriving at the requested location, the passenger said he had to get money from an ATM. He then produced a knife and attempted to rob the driver of all his hard-earned money.  A furious, violent fight ensues with the driver trying to hold onto his money and his life.  At one point this maniac tries to stab the driver in the chest with the knife (attempted murder?).  This coward then probably feared that he has been at it too long, and ran from the scene.  Officer Chris Anderson arrived and quickly obtained the story and broadcasts a full description of the suspect.   Sergeants Arlin Vanderbilt and Darren Choy hear the broadcast and start to look for the suspect.  Sergeant Choy finds a gentleman who matches the suspect’s description and detains him.  A positive identification is made, followed by an arrest.  Fantastic police work.  Did I mention that the suspect has a criminal history?  Don’t do it again, probation for you, no soup for you, just for a month.

Central StationSergeant Scott Biggs and Officer Albern Ciudad are conducting a surveillance operation looking for car burglars in the Fisherman’s Wharf area.  This area is plagued with this type of crime for the criminals know the tourist in the area leave items in their vehicles, not aware of the criminal element who would pray upon their trust in law and order.  The aforementioned men in blue spot a vehicle parked at a fire hydrant with the driver looking intently into his rear view mirror.  For you folks not in law enforcement, we call that a clue.  Sure enough behind him, his crimey (compatriot in criminal behavior) is looking into vehicles parked on the street.  Sergeant Biggs in street clothes gets out on foot and starts to observe the said suspect.  BAM, you guessed it!  Our hero breaks into a car, steals all kinds of property, and then gets into the same car that our mirror-watching hero was keeping watch for the police (great job dummy).  A radio broadcast is put out and numerous units start to converge on the now fleeing vehicle. 

Officer Ray Callo spots the fleeing vehicle and now these psychos are driving at dangerous speeds endangering all the citizens on the streets.  Officer Callo directs all other responding units to the area.  Sergeants Shaughn Ryan and A.J. Holder respond and spot the vehicle.  Thank goodness criminals are not always bright, for the vehicle flees into a dead end!  Now with Sergeant Ryan in a foot pursuit, other units are now converging.  Sergeant Mark Obrochta, Officers Ben Santana and Dante Giovanelli catch both of our heroes.   First, if your committing car burglaries in broad daylight, Sergeant Biggs will spot you. Second, if you’re trying to flee in your car and Sergeant Holder is driving behind you, just give up, you’re not getting away.  Third, all the other sergeants and officers have your description and know where you were last seen, really, just give up.  Later Inspector Steve Paulsen assists in the investigation and finds all kinds of evidence that puts our heroes’ chances of lying their way out of this one SLIM at best.  Oooo snap, one suspect is on PAROLE the other on FELONY PROBATION.  OK you mugs, we have had it with this behavior, not only no soup for you, you must eat pizza with a fork for a year and abstain from all foie gras (duck liver) products.  In addition you must volunteer at the Bay Area home for Duck Survivors of Force Feeding, DSFF, that will teach you!

Richmond/Taraval Stations – A young woman is robbed at gunpoint by three maniacs.  Our heroes, after committing this felonious act, get into a get-away car and speed off into the night.  Officer John Stephens quickly responds and determines what happened, realizes that the suspect has the victims cell phone and, with the help of the Operations Center, begins to track the phone.  Officers Declan Flannery and Greg Stechschulte take over the tracking.  Taraval Station Officers Jasmine Suuitan, Keent Chu and Kristopher Shinbori are alerted respond and find the getaway car and all three occupants.  Officer Shinbori, thinking out of the box, has an other officer call the victim’s cell phone.  Yep, it is now ringing inside of the getaway car.  After a thorough search, a .380 caliber semi automatic pistol is recovered along with the victims property.  21st century police work, coupled with old-fashioned quick response and radio work, got three maniacs off the street. 

That is it for this month.  Be safe out there. 

KMA 438 is the FCC designator for the S.F.P.D.