"Mason, do you believe in religion?" Mason had just driven a woman to the police station and locked her up in the detention cell before resuming his patrol when Jimmy asked him.
"No, why do you ask?"
"That lady just scared me, I didn't expect a mother could abuse her own child like that, just because she suspected he was possessed by a demon."
"Oh, was it demonic possession or a crazed mother? You should get used to it, because this isn't the first time we've seen something like this, and you'll definitely encounter it again."
Mason parked the car on the roadside, got out, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, handing one to Jimmy. Both men stood by the roadside smoking.
"All units be advised, a shootout has occurred at City Center Hospital, nearby officers please provide support immediately."repeat..."
Mason and Jimmy threw their cigarette butts on the ground, stepped on them, and got back into the car, activating the siren and lights, and sped towards the hospital. Jimmy had already pulled out his baton, and as soon as the car stopped at the hospital entrance, he got out and went to the front of the hospital with his baton extended, starting to secure the area.
Mason drew his pistol, communicating via radio as he rushed into the hospital.
Jimmy glanced around and noticed there were already eight police cars parked with nobody inside; evidently, all were likely inside the hospital. Doctors, nurses, and patients were already dispersing outside the hospital, he couldn't just run off, so he took cover behind a column, keeping a close watch on the hospital's main entrance.
Apart from the occasional sound of gunfire, there was hardly any noise coming from inside the hospital. After waiting for about fifteen minutes and still not seeing anyone come out, Jimmy was getting anxious.
"Where's the hospital security? Can someone tell me where the back door is?" Jimmy shouted at the people outside.
"If you go to your right, behind the building there's another exit and a back door in the parking lot."
Following their directions, Jimmy rushed to the back door.
Just as he reached the back door, it was opened from the inside, and a man in a blue hospital gown burst out, holding a pistol.
Jimmy reacted quickly, sweeping his baton horizontally, catching the man off guard who evidently didn't expect to encounter resistance at the door, hitting him in the right arm, causing the pistol to fall to the ground.
Jimmy continued with the baton, striking the man's arms and legs twice, knocking him down to the ground, then handcuffed him and dragged him to a corner by the wall. He also collected the man's pistol into an evidence bag and put it in his pocket.
He returned to the back door to continue his watch when suddenly he heard shouting from the front. Jimmy ran back to the front door and saw an ambulance speeding out from the underground garage next to the front door, heading toward the main gate. He sprinted to the police car, picked up the radio to report the situation but then saw several police officers, including Mason, running out from the underground passage.
The officers hurried to their police cars, and when Mason got to the police car, Jimmy told him, "I caught one at the back door."
Mason was surprised by this news, followed Jimmy to the back door, and they dragged the man into the police car.
"Let's not pursue further for now; let's wait for the doctors to come back and first check this person."
"Alright, here's his gun." Jimmy pulled out the evidence bag containing a black 1911 pistol, and Mason opened the trunk and placed the bag inside.
"Mason, what happened inside?" "Let's talk about it when we get back to the station. I've already contacted Chief James, and he should be arriving at the station soon."
...
After the doctors and nurses who had scattered returned for a basic checkup on the suspect, they found no fractures or bleeding issues, Mason took the suspect back to the police station and locked him up in the detention cell.
"Jimmy, come with me to see the chief," Mason said.
"Chief, the hospital is back to normal. We only captured one criminal, two others escaped in an ambulance, and we only found the ambulance, not the people," reported Mason.
"Did you notify the other divisions?" Chief James asked.
"Yes, we did, and we have brought back the captured suspect. Oh, it was Jimmy who caught him, at the back door of the hospital," Mason replied.
"Hmm, tell me about the suspect," Chief James said.
"They are from the Pagans Motorcycle Club. There was a car accident last night; three people were sent to City Center Hospital. Today, when the State Police were investigating, they were attacked by them, preparing to flee. After the hospital alerted us, we arrived, and two ran away."
"Hmm, you may leave now," said the Chief.
Mason and Jimmy left the Chief's office. Mason continued his patrol, while Jimmy was prepared to go home to rest. By the time Jimmy had changed back into his own clothes and was coming out, Chief James was at the door of his office.
"Jimmy, come to my office," he called.
Jimmy entered the office, where Chief James sat on the sofa and offered him a cigarette. Both sat down, lit their cigarettes, and began to talk.
"Jimmy, are you interested in working at the police station?" the Chief asked.
"As a police officer?" Jimmy inquired.
"Yes. You've been around the station for a while now and should know how things operate here," the Chief explained.
"Chief, I have no problem being a police officer, but it seems I can't solve the issues in the station. I'm applying now, but by the time the police academy starts and I graduate, it won't be until at least next summer," Jimmy responded.
"You don't need to worry about that; I just need an answer, accept or refuse," the Chief stated.
"Of course, I accept," Jimmy said.
"OK, come see Amy tomorrow morning and follow her arrangement. Remember, don't tell anyone anything," the Chief instructed.
Before they even finished their cigarettes, the matter was settled. Jimmy walked out of the police station still a bit dazed.
Standing at the entrance of the police station, the cold breeze blew for a while, and Jimmy's mind finally cooled down, starting to think about what the chief meant.
First, let me explain the process of joining the police force in the United States. There are two entry points to becoming a police officer: one is to apply at a police station, get approved, and then undergo six months of training at a police academy; the other is to attend the police academy for six months first, obtain a certificate, then submit a resume to a police station, get approved, and join the police station as a police trainee.
No matter which route is taken, the process after arriving at the police station is the same: training led by a training officer for six months, followed by six months of solo patrol. During this period, a training officer secretly evaluates, and full completion is required to become a formal police officer. This should be the legally mandated timeframe, its length once completely discouraged him from pursuing this path.
Being a police officer is much harder than most people think. The training at the police academy at least includes law, encompassing both federal and state laws, state police codes, emergency medical care, emergency evacuation procedures, weapon use, scenario simulations, high/low-risk detentions, equipment usage, vehicle driving, high-speed interceptions, vehicle stops, physical training, combat training, and more—all essentials for an officer's work.