The room is dark, cold and foreboding. There are no windows that allow you to dream of freedom. There is only despair and loathing for what is about to come. The room is guarded by a heavy metal door that creeks shut and slams with a sound of finality. Darkness prevails in this 8’ x8’ room. Some of the people who enter the room have hearts as cold and dark as the facility.
The walls of the room are covered with eggs shell foam so every sound and word can be captured on digitally. A hidden video camera lurks in the corner recording every nervous twitch of the liars, crooks and guilty. Detectives, officers and interested DA’s hover in the adjacent video room watching the behaviors of the accused and listen to skilled detectives break tough to these murderous heathens. They all lie, it’s just a matter of how much before a detective works them into a corner and pierces their heart with truth. I have watched as the cold hearted warm, tough veneers soften and the strong weep. The police interview room is where people are faced with their guilt, are confronted by the evidence and their behaviors are brought to light.
Scott B has the hair line of Mr. Clean, the beard of Brutus and the strength of Popeye hopped up on Spinach. He is (was) a world class athlete with a Master’s in Forensic Science. He is not the guy you want to meet in a dark alley. As Mark P told me, “B is the toughest man alive. He is also one of the smartest.” Scott was just recently awarded the second highest award given by the United States Secret Service for his work on Operation Bank Gig. Lincoln Park and 5/9 Brim gang members were jacking ATM cards from US Military personnel, fraudulently dumping thousands into their accounts and then withdrawing all the account money at the local Indian casinos. The losses were absorbed by banks. The losses totaled more than $ 1 Million dollars. Scott and a USSS agent discovered this scam and went to work identifying the recruiters, scammers and gangsters. In all 65 people were arrested for bilking Navy Fed for 650K. Other banks stonewalled the investigators and just absorbed the loss.
One woman who recruited military personnel at clubs was identified and arrested. She wore her bright green shirt in tribute to LPK Piru. She walked into the interview room trying to think about how to wiggle out of this mess. She nervously sat at the table as the detectives watch for clues on the flat screen TV’s in the video room. What could they know? Everybody was doing it, why pick on me? Scott walked into the room and sat across the table from her. She began to sweat. Not from the 69 degree room temperature but from the stress of guilt. Scott just stared at her relentlessly. He could see the pulse in her neck trying to find a way through the skin. Calmly he pulled a laminated, standard police form from his pocket. In his report he would later write, “I admonished her per my PD 145.” You have the right to remain silent….do you understand your rights and are you willing to speak with me. He was careful not to be too harsh or soft because attorneys will see this video tape and make any excuse to void the interview.
Scott looked up with a fatherly looking face at this 20 year old woman. She broke. Showanda gave a full and detailed statement to Barney about her involvement, additional bank scams, who the players were and how much money they made. The gangsters took almost all the money stiffing the Sailors, recruiters and wannabe’s. Her last statement was the most powerful. “What’s done in the dark always comes to light.” I knew what I was doing was wrong. It was if that confession turned on a bright light in the dark room.
I hear and take to heart the admonishment of Jesus in John 3: “This is the verdict: Light (Jesus) has come into the world, but men loved the darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that is deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” O Lord, let my actions and behaviors match my beliefs and let everything I do be done through you…in the light.
Please pray for the families of the four slain Lakewood Officers…
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