Now in all my years as a cop, I've only had to take down 2- PCP drug induced maniacs. The strength they get is simply inhuman. I swore the next one I just hit with my car and make sure he was down by running over him again. Oh, he wouldn't be dead, maybe not even unconscious, but he'd be laughing too hard to be much of a threat anymore. He'd just be eating the bumper or a tire, until I could get back-up. Thorazine is about the only thing to render them unconscious and that's with almost a lethal dose.
We recently had an officer involved shooting death here in Seward and I am really looking forward to reading the final word on what caused the officer to shoot his allegedly cuffed prisoner 6-7 times. I've heard both amounts. But, they were wrestling on the ground, while he was already cuff, but apparently managed to get the cuffs in front of him and attempted to steal the patrol car, when the cop stopped him. While wrestling on the ground, the prisoner was shoot and killed. Now, the investigation is not done and it was several months ago, but after a couple of weeks, the officer was allowed to return to work. I was not the Chief, but I have problems with this. His name was released to the press. Anyhow, from what I know, only by reading several newspaper articles, I see the officers training might have been the problem. But, this happens a lot in Alaska. The small town departments have too few cops and they have the men working as officers prior to going through any academy. I was an officer the whole time I worked for Dillingham Police Department, a fishing town of 3500 people and a whole lot more in the summer. The whole time I was there I had never been to the academy. I was working for four months at my second department before I finally made it to the police academy. I was given a lot of training with my nightstick on disarming and restraining my bad guys. Again, this was before tasers and mace were issued to us. Anyhow, Seward has joined the ranks of officers involved shootings and I am sure they are not proud of it. One of the things that happens, is how a lot of bad guys carrying guns are now afraid that if they don't shoot first they may be shot be a shaky cop. Before, they knew some jail time was waiting for them , but murdering a cop was 99-years here in Alaska- no death penalty up here. Someone let the liberals in. Yes, I support the death penalty, but only if there is clearly enough proof to show the offender did the crime, and not just DNA. DNA is simply one additional piece of evidence. Now how did I get going on all this, anyhow... Must be my mood. Been in bed for three days and now I am back at the computer.
Okay, on the weather front, we didn't get that major storm we were told to expect...oh, we got two-three inches of Snow, but a stuff breeze apparently blew the storm over to Soldotna-Kenai area, about 65-miles to our west and outside our mountains. For those flat-landers, they got over 2-feet of fresh snow. I wish we had gotten it so my water line would be better insulated from the cold. Takes a bit of work to clear out a frozen waterline. Then we had several days of clear and cold, down to zero. Last night the clouds moved in and its warmed up to freezing temps- 32 degrees (F).
On Thanksgiving I got calls from 3 out of 4 sons and that was nice. Our youngest is going through the FBI Academy for their Police. I will graduate in early January and be assigned in D.C.. That part I'm overjoyed with, but there is a lot of history there for him to study and the Feds have great health and retirement plans. Our oldest son is working two police jobs, one for the Whittier Police Department, about 40-miles south of Anchorage. I was the Police Chief and Public Safety Directer back in 1988 and 89. After leaving Whittier I was able to find my best job, Senior Investigator of the State of Alaska Gambling Program. But, let's get back to John. Most if not all of you know he also started out in Dillingham and some of the locals had remembered the name. He did a fine job there and then went to Whittier. But, he also has a second full-time job working for the Feds as a Security Officers for inside the federal buildings at a nice $35 an hour. I never came close to making that much in law enforcement, if it wasn't for all the bribes...just kidding. Yes, I was offered them and had to do written reports on them for my supervisors. John works 12-hour shifts for 7-days and then works 12-hour shifts 7-days for Whittier. Now James, number 3 son, he also called and reports he is a new Executive Officer. He had recently put on his Air Force captain's rank and last year, he got to plan out the Base's Air Force Ball, maybe that was the squadron's... for something extra to do. My hearing is slowly failing me, unless I am listening to rock & roll through the earphones. Let the 60's and 70's LIVE AGAIN! Amazing how many of the artists are all dead now. David Cassidy was the most recent. Yes, I watched "The Partridge Family" back then. One of my early girl friends was a Davey Jones fan. Had his photo pasted over every piece of wall space. She nearly threw he dad out of the house when she found out her dad had gotten to meet the Monkees and failed to get autographs. He was a long haul truck driver and was sleeping in his cab, when he was awakened by someone tossing a basketball off his trailer. Sure enough, it was them, taking a break between their show's filming and he was delivering a load nearby. He really like the boys and that's all he said. I don't think she talked to her dad for a month. But, the poor man didn't even know who they were until he recognized one of the posters in her room.
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Facts:
In 1982 the LAPD, Los Angeles Police Department, retired Badge # 714- Sgt. Joe Friday's badge on the TV Series Dragnet. (Believe it or not, but that is quite an honor and extremely rare.)
The first Emmy Awards were not televised- they were broadcast over the radio.
TV's Davy Crockett (Fess Parker) wore a coonskin cap (the one with the tail out the back); but the real Davy new did. (Men of that time did not want to get wet, so they wore flat brimmed hats).
Tim Conway's (the comedian) license plate says "13 weeks"- that's how long most of his sitcoms have lasted. (Except for his part in the Carol Burnett Show, he was almost always there.)
By the age of 65, an average American will have watched 9-years worth of television.
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's first writing gig: speech writer for the L.A. Police Department.
Here's the Top One show on TV: 1949-1950 "Texaco Star Theater", 1954-55 "I Love Lucy", 1959-1960 "Gunsmoke, 1964-1965 "Bonanza,
1969-1970 "Laugh-In", 1974-1975 "All in the Family". "Mash" was #5 that year. 1979-1980 "60 Minutes", 1984-1985 "Dynasty", 1989-1990 "Roseanne" 1994-1995 "Seinfeld", 1999-2000 "Who Wants to be A Millionaire (Which held the top three slots that year), 2004-2005, "American Idol" , Also # 2 that year, 2009-2010 "American Idol", again # 2 slot that year.
The first choice to play Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke was John Wayne. ( I had heard he felt a TV series would interfere with his movie making.)
Longest-running music series, "No, it was not "American Bandstand" or "The Lawrence Welk Show?", it was..."Soul Train", which ran for 35-years.
Quentin Tarantino's showbiz debut ( He's now known as a award winning director), was as an Elvis impersonator on "The Golden Girls"
Now some news- not many:
Washington Free Beacon: Feds spend $709,334 in tax money studying in how to prevent obese women from getting pregnant. (Makes you feel just glad to be paying taxes.)
Gatestone Institute News: "Germany: Surge in Migrant Attacks on Police- Migrants Have No respect for Us", Story by Soeren Kern on 11/29/2017. "The police cannot win a war with the Lebanese because we outnumber them." said by the Lebanese Clan in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. A recent judge's leniency was believed to have happened because he feared his family might be subjected to retribution from the Clan, in Germany. Clan members saw this as a green light to continue their delinquent behavior. "Violent attacks against German Police have reached epidemic proportions". "Federal Police report 36,755 attacks against police in Germany in 2016- or an average of 100 attacks per day." These offenses against police is "rampant in all of Germany's 16-states.
Washington Free Beacon: "Iran is Now Deploying Warships to Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico. (How many have nuclear weapons capability?) ALSO- Washington D.C. Transit System Rejected A Christmas Ad for Being Too Christian." ALSO- Mattel Toys (Yes, the major toy company), gives into jihad-ism with the creation of their Hijab Barbie, styled after American-Muslim Olympic Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad. (This is Mattel's way of breaking into the "Burgeoning Muslim Market". As I understand it, she is wearing the full head scarf and the Hijab term is only used for female fanatics, to be taught political fanaticism, and now condoned to be taught in public schools and universities. Of those females interested in tearing down our democracy and outspoken about killing all Jews and Christians, and anyone not a believer of Islam, were all taught as Hijab. So many people walking about with their eyes closed, allowing our country to be duped so easily. I for one will no longer buy Mattel Toys for my children and my Grandchildren. Sadly, it is almost a minor hardship for me, as most of the police cars I buy for my growing collection of police items, comes from Mattel. So sorry.)
That's all the news tonight. I wish you all well. If you have any prayer requests, send them on and my wife and I will cover it. If you want them on the journal for added help, just tell me. God Bless You All. BILL