Violence by Timothy McDougall Read Free Book Online Page B

that. Even the camera in the patrol car that picked them up recorded Derek and the others as very compliant. They did everything they were asked. They didn’t fight at the traffic stop or in lock-up which was appreciated by the arresting officers and Crotty who all have had their individual experiences of being spat at, kicked and bitten by resisting suspects. Crotty, in his days starting out as a patrolman, was pricked early on by a dirty hypodermic needle searching the pockets of an unruly vagrant who was found to be HIV and Hepatitis C positive. That incident alone was good for a year’s worth of taking a variety of drugs and sweating out blood tests in the event he had been infected. Crotty wasn’t.
    Derek, Gabriel and Ruben had also all been obedient through booking. They were informed of the nature of the likely charges so they knew the basics were required and any refusal there would reflect badly on them down the line. They submitted to Gunshot Residue Tests which can show if a suspect has recently fired a gun. This had to be done immediately, preferably within one hour of the crime, no more than three, and before fingerprinting. They gave mug shots. They had their clothing taken as evidence and placed in paper bags. Photographs of their bodies were taken to show any defensive wounds the victims may have inflicted.
    A male nurse had come over from the local hospital and administered a Suspect Sexual Assault Evidence Kit. Derek and the others went through blood draws to test for drug/alcohol levels and DNA typing. They gave fingernail scrapings for possible evidence. They all allowed their pubic regions to be brushed and additional genital hair reference samples as well as head hair samples were collected. The part Derek and Gabriel enjoyed most was when the penile and scrotal swabs were applied to collect any blood, semen or saliva stains on their skin. Moistened with distilled water, the swabs were moved in a continuous rotating motion to ensure uniformity, sampling the area around their scrotums in addition to the head, shaft and base of each of their penises.
    After all this was done, Derek, Gabriel and Ruben were given standard issue jumpsuits.
    Ruben was dressed like this when a beefy patrolman fished him out of his cell.
    “You can bring out the first one.” Crotty had told the patrolman over the intercom who led the drowsy Ruben, slouched and shuffling in leg irons, into the center of the inner corridor where another beefy patrolman helped hold Ruben upright before the observation glass.
    “He’s one of them.” Anderson stated clearly, hiding his revulsion.
    “You’re sure?” Crotty asked for confirmation. “Obviously you’re not seeing them in the same clothes or setting as they appeared earlier at your home.”
    “I got a very good look at them.” Anderson assured him.
    Crotty knocked on his side of the glass, giving the signal, and Ruben was returned to his cell.
    Once Ruben’s cell door was shut, another interior meshed-glass door could be closed in his section of lockup effectively sealing him off from the second cell where Gabriel was situated. The beefy patrolman waited for the other door to close before the programmed interlocking sequence allowed him to open the door to Gabriel’s compartment. He yanked opened the cell door and motioned Gabriel into the corridor. Gabriel hobbled up to the glass, making some effort to hold his head up.
    “Yes, he was there, too.” Anderson nodded.
    Crotty rapped the glass and Gabriel was put back in his cell.
    Soon it was Derek’s turn to be brought front and center. Derek seemed much more awake than the others though he affected the same world-weary wilt. Derek was also the better-built of the three so the patrolmen were especially vigilant as they led him before the glass.
    Anderson hesitated to affirm Derek as one of the three. Not because he wasn’t sure Derek was one of the men at his house. He knew Derek was the clear ringleader of the group.