The real life of an American police officer: Winning over others with virtue

Chapter 288 Evolution
"It seems there will be no shortage of follow-up inquiries," Eric sighed to himself.

"It's possible that not only me, but Will and the others will also be questioned."

Never mind, let's take it one step at a time. Even if the Heavenly King himself comes, we can't disturb his rest.

With that in mind, Eric could already foresee what would happen next. He picked up the remote, turned off the TV, and headed to the kitchen to prepare something to eat before going to bed.

-

However, Eric was unaware that this incident was triggering a chain reaction from the bottom up within the Los Angeles Police Department.

During his sleeping time.

Will and the others were all questioned.

Afterwards, the entire story was compiled into a detailed report and sent to Inspector Grey and Davis's desks.

Finally, the report reached the hands of Chief Inspector Eswin, who was facing the biggest headache.
At that moment, he had just finished watching the press conference that had just ended.

He glanced at the people sitting on the sofa in front of him: Inspector Grey, Inspector Davis, and his administrative assistant Brenda.

Then, after picking up the file on the desktop and glancing at it, Esven put the file down and said with a headache.

"So, the whole thing started because Officer Eric Stevens discovered a Level 1 wanted criminal?"

The group of people sitting on the sofa looked at each other.

Finally, Sergeant Grey, the district head of the area where the incident occurred, nodded and said, "Yes, sir."

Looking at Esven's troubled expression and habitual movements, she inexplicably thought of Daves.

When Eric first came to the West Canyon precinct, Daves always had this expression on his face—a mixture of love, hate, and helplessness.

They were exactly the same. Inspector Grey subconsciously turned her head away, afraid that Aiswin would notice her unusual behavior.

Aiswin said, "So why did things turn out like this just because it was about arresting a Level 1 wanted criminal?"

Inspector Grey glanced at Davis.

Davis said in a deep voice, "That first-class wanted criminal is named Armand Herrera. He served in the 1st Infantry Division and participated in the war in Afghanistan."

Aiswin frowned.

"And his life after retirement wasn't easy." Davis's voice was steady, but with a hint of barely perceptible sigh.

"His marriage broke down, he was having trouble at work, and he suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. After discovering his wife's infidelity, he used the methods he learned in the army to get rid of his wife and her lover."

Therefore, he was placed on our number one wanted list, and initially, we treated it as a robbery-murder case.

“That’s not all, sir,” Inspector Grey added.

"Officer Stevens, also known as Eric, and his colleagues, during a routine patrol, discovered Armand's abandoned vehicle and some clues, deduced that he had accomplices, and tracked them down to their hideout."

Davis spoke, his tone becoming heavy: "Ultimately, following standard procedure, SWAT provided tactical support for this case."

We initially thought it was just a routine operation to arrest wanted criminals.

But no one expected that Armand Herrera was not alone.

With nowhere else to turn, he sought refuge with his former squad leader in the infantry division, a more dangerous fellow named Sean Lloyd.

Based on our on-site investigation, the maps we obtained, and other relevant information, it appears that the group was planning a cash transport robbery that night. "So," Eswin rubbed his temples, trying to unravel this absurd and outrageous chain of events.

"In other words, one of our conscientious patrol officers, while tracking a wanted criminal who committed murder due to a romantic dispute, accidentally stumbled upon a major, highly militarized criminal operation planned by a veteran?"

“Yes, sir.” Grey and Davis exchanged a glance and said in unison.

"Then, due to the information gap, our SWAT team was caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties."

Then, our patrolman, Eric Stevens, stepped up and played a decisive role, leading four SWAT team members to kill the group of former elite soldiers who were preparing to break through?

As Aisven spoke, he couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose, unsure of what to say next.

A brief silence fell over the office as Grey and Davis nodded again, acknowledging the fact that sounded like something out of an action movie script.

Aiswin leaned back in his chair, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

His gaze swept over his subordinates before finally settling on the ceiling, as a series of identical memories flashed through his mind.

Fredericksburg, Virginia: the train bombing, the killer's blockade, and now this shocking event that will reverberate throughout North America.

Those brats are all key figures involved.

"My God," Aiswin muttered to himself. How much time had passed?

Because the time was so short, he could remember exactly how much time had passed.

That brat came back from Fredericksburg, took a month-long vacation, and on his first day back at work, he ran into the murderer's interception incident. Then he took three days off, worked a few day shifts, and on his first night shift back, he caused such a huge commotion today.

Thinking about this, Aiswin was really dumbfounded. He didn't understand how so many things could happen to one person.
Inspector Grey glanced at the bewildered Aiswin, coughed inwardly, and suddenly realized a blind spot.

Previously, Eric at the West Canyon Police Department would at most kill one suspect, and Daves would handle most of those matters, occasionally jumping to her side.

Eric is getting into bigger and bigger trouble lately, things that even Superintendent Daves or her can't handle. It's like the role of the person in charge has become Chief Inspector Eswin.

"No wonder Daves has been more and more relaxed lately, and even smiles occasionally. Could it be because of this?" Inspector Grey seemed to have discovered the truth and was a little puzzled.

Eric is indeed a bit... eerie? Is this the Grim Reaper-like constitution that the patrolmen talk about in private?

Inspector Grey finally understood why Daves always looked so annoyed and gritted his teeth when he saw Eric.

Even Chief Superintendent Eswin, the actual Number 1 of the Los Angeles Police Department, is like this, let alone Daves.

"I don't know whether to be glad we have a cop like him, or to worry about why he always gets into these kinds of trouble. His luck, or rather his ability to get into trouble, is just... unbelievable."

Aiswin shook his head, looked at Grey and Davis, and couldn't find the right words, so he could only wave his hand.

"The press conference has just ended, and the media are still asking for details. The report is very well written, highlighting teamwork and the bravery of SWAT, while downplaying the unconventional role of individual individuals."

As Aiswin spoke, his gaze grew deep.

"Regarding Officer Stevens' specific actions, the internal investigation department must follow procedures, but our internal conclusions must be clear and consistent! He's a hero, not a troublemaker, understand?"

“Understood, sir!” Grey and Davis replied.

“Alright,” Aisven said, sounding a little tired. “You guys go and handle the aftermath. Let me have some peace and quiet. I need to think about how to explain this surprise to the higher-ups.”

(End of this chapter)