The Great Mocha Caper

I'm going to start this blog with a story that my family loves to hear.

I was working swing shift, which starts at 2:30 in the afternoon. It was during the holiday season and my brother, Joel, was with me as a ride along. The shift started pretty slow. I showed Joel the area I patrol for a while, then headed to the neighborhood Starbucks for my favorite coffee drink, a venti chocolate mocha with extra chocolate and whipped cream.

I parked the patrol car and we walked into the store. As we were walking in, I heard the dispatcher over my police radio, "54C5... 10-13, 10-20?" In english: my partner had just run a license plate and it came back as a stolen vehicle. I'm sure Joel thought there was something major going on because I stopped in my tracks. I forgot that he could not hear what I was hearing through my earpiece. My partner advised that the vehicle was unoccupied, in a parking lot a building away from us, and that he was going to watch it for a while to see if anybody got in it. We were clear to get our coffee.... for now.

We got up to the counter and ordered my venti chocolate mocha with extra chocolate and whipped cream, and an oatmeal cookie. Joel ordered his coffee, and we then waited for them at the designated "pick-up" counter. As we were waiting for our coffee, I turned to Joel and said, "uh oh". My partner had advised over the radio that there were suspects that had just got into the stolen car and that it was moving out of the parking lot.

I had a dilemma. Do I leave my venti chocolate mocha with extra chocolate and whipped cream to go chase a stolen car, or do I wait for my mocha and risk missing all of the fun? My dilemma ended when our coffees were miraculously placed on the designated "pick-up" counter. We grabbed our coffees and cookie, and I told Joel, "Let's go." We headed out of the store with a fast walk, and headed to my patrol car, trying not to spill any of my venti chocolate mocha with extra chocolate and whipped cream.

My partner advised that the stolen car had turned onto the street and was heading to pass right by us. As we were walking across the parking lot towards the patrol car, I hear over the radio in my earpiece, "Bittle, Bittle, Bittle... they are right there.... Bittle, Bittle, Bittle!!" I was in the middle of the parking lot with several cars. I had no idea which car he was talking about.

I pulled my service weapon and was looking around frantically, trying to figure out which car was the stolen one. I know Joel was a little concerned. Here was his brother, his Sig Sauer .40 caliber handgun in his right hand, and a venti chocolate mocha with extra chocolate and whipped cream and an oatmeal cookie in his left hand. Mind you, Joel still cannot hear anything that I am hearing in my ear. I think Joel took cover behind a nearby Volkswagen and watched the conclusion from there. I'm sure I was a sight to see.

I finally figured out which car my partner was talking about. I carefully put down my venti chocolate mocha with extra chocolate and whipped cream and oatmeal cookie on a parked car, then assisted my partners by detaining the suspects as they were exiting the car.

Scorecard: 2 supects in custody, 1 stolen car recovered, 1 unspilled venti chocolate mocha with extra chocolate and whipped cream, and 1 unmolested oatmeal cookie. My partners got a good laugh about it and have reminded me about this incident often.