My mind drifted back to when I met Char.
The call came in at 22:47, almost the end of my shift.I was tired, but this call was not going to wait for shift change.Lamonte and I climbed back in our cruiser and reply to dispatch.
Domestic disturbance.Possible armed subject.Female held against her will according to the caller.
These calls sat heavy before I could even arrive on scene.They were the kind that tighten in my chest because walking in was dangerous, not to me, but to the female entangled with a man out of control.It was a gamble if we would find raised voices, broken furniture, or quiet secrets where I knew there would be apologies whispered away to explain bruises.
Horrific cycles that repeated until someone got brave or someone got buried.
Lamonte, my partner, we didn’t talk much as we pulled up to the address.A townhouse with lights on in an area that wasn’t in the worst part of DC but it was not the best either.The place was small, slightly run down, with a porch light flickering like it was fighting for each bit of power it could manage to find.
I knocked with a yell to announce our presence.
Lights out.
Silence.
I knocked again.
And again as Lamonte radios in our lack of response from inside the home.
“Welfare check,” I stated hoping to see some movement and get this done so I could go home.
A man answered.Mid to late twenties.Tall, African-American male, wearing black jersey style shorts, a white tank-top with what looked to be blood on parts of the front chest area.His jaw was clenched.His stance was one of defense with his shoulders rolled back, chest out, and his eyes, they were narrowed and hostile.
“What?”he snapped.
“I’m officer Verdone with the DC Metro Police.We had a call for a welfare check.Is there a female in the residence?”
“No.”He snapped back but didn’t engage us to confirm a female presence nor did he deny one.
“We need to speak with the female occupant, sir.I also need to see a form of ID if you could please.”
“There’s no problem to be found here.I got nosey neighbors, heard some shit on the tv.Me and my girl is asleep now.”He shifted his body to block more of the narrow doorframe.
Always the tell for an abuser, putting themselves between us and the victim.
“Sir,” Lamonte chimed in from beside me.“We just need to confirm from the female occupant of her status.Quick conversation and we can let you both get back to your evening, sir.”
“She’s fine,” he stated crossing his arms over his chest.
I was tall at six-feet-three-inches.Lamonte stood at six even and this man was taller than both of us.The scar on his shoulder screamed previous bullet wound and the tattoo on his neck showed his gang affiliation.Yeah, my gut told me I’m about to end up with overtime doing the paperwork on this one.
“Make it easy for all of us.Need to see her, then we will be on our way.”
Something moved behind him.I grabbed my flashlight, turning it on, and aiming it to the area I noticed the shadow.I caught her eyes, wide with fear.It was then I saw her face.
She stood a few feet back, half-hidden, arms wrapped tight around her chest like that was the only thing holding her together.Her eyes were haunted with one of them swelling already, her lip was busted and she still had blood trickling from her nose.
It was her neck, though, that got me.The light-skinned African-American female in front of me had red marks across her neck like she had been shaken or choked, I was not sure which.
I didn’t know the female in front of me personally, but I knew what she thought she was doing.In her mind, she was already bracing for what was to come the minute we left.The way her eyes continually moved back to watch him before coming to look at me and then Lamonte.
She was trembling and something inside me went rigid at the sight.
“Sir,” I began, “for the safety of all parties, I need to detain you.Understand you are not under arrest.Turn around, put your hands behind your back.”
“What?”He questioned then looked over his shoulder at her.Once he saw her standing there, he snapped, lunging at her.
