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George Pollock State KidIssue 43
A Police Officer's Duty
“Let's take a breath of air,” Billy said to Captain O'Toole. “We could both use it.”“Fine.”Leaving Kali in charge of the hostages -- they should now be called what they are -- Billyand Captain O'Toole left Director Carson's office and stepped out the front entrance.“My God!” the captain said. “Look at all the people!”They were engulfed by well-wishers. An Hispanic man slapped Billy on the back, saying,“You showed 'em, kid. Rick and Jag don't send our kids to the lock-up no more. That's allfinished! I saw it on TV with my own eyes!”The same man pumped Captain O'Toole's hand. “Thank you, Captain O'Toole. Thank you. What you did in there, we never seen any police officer do. Right on TV yousearched those dirty cops and cuffed 'em. You put handcuffs on cops! We never seen that.You're a great man!”The two made their way through the crowd but, with people pressing in on them, it wasslow-going. Every few feet there were more jubilant people, more hands to shake, morefood pressed into their hands.“The people love you, Captain. Too bad
they
don't,” Billy said, nodding toward the policeofficers on crowd-control duty, who were watching frigidly. “I'm sorry. They probablythink you changed sides. Have you?”“No,
they
have.”“Captain, I suggest we work our way back into the school.”They headed back to the school and a large part of the crowd followed. At the door, Billy paused and gave the crowd a big wave and smile. He shouted, “My friends, thank you for  being here today. Your support makes justice possible. I love you all!” The crowdcheered. Billy said to Captain O'Toole, “Wave, say something to your new public.”The captain, working up an awkward smile, put an arm stiffly in the air. The crowd calledfor him to speak. Gazing out on all the smiling faces, Captain O'Toole saw only thesneers of fellow officers -- and he turned to go inside.“C'mon,” Billy said. “Loosen up. Throw them something.”In a hesitant voice, Captain O'Toole said, “I ... I ... What I mean to say is ... is that ... noone is above the law.” In a louder voice: “A uniform and a badge do not give an officer the right to break the law.” The crowd cheered. Louder still and with feeling: “A policeofficer who breaks the law is a criminal.” The crowd cheered louder. Now he was oratingforcefully: “He or she should be treated like any other criminal. No officer under mycommand, and I mean no officer ...”Billy tugged at the captain's arm. “Hey, we'd better go in.”
 
***The two ducked into the school.“Captain,” Billy said. “Sorry, but I didn't like the way those officers were looking atyou.”“Thank you, but I can take care of myself.”“I'm sure you can, but we're out here to calm people, not stir them up.”“When I want advice from you, I'll ask for it. Understand?”“Okay, okay. It would help if we were seen together in the dining hall.”“Why?”“To keep my inmates and your police from shooting each other.”They headed for the dining hall. On the way, Billy said, “Could I ask you not to provokethe police? Not what we're trying to accomplish here.”“You don't learn, do you?”“Sorry, just asking you to think in ... er ... you know ... political terms. Know what Imean?”“Will you please shut up?”They reached the cell where Dr. Kurlan was being held. He was lying on the floor. Whenhe saw Captain O'Toole, he jumped up and grabbed the bars.“They assaulted me! They assaulted me!”“We shoved him into the cell, that's all,” said an inmate guard. “He fell.”“Ask Dr. Bridges to come and look at Dr. Kurlan's boo-boos.”The guard went for Dr. Bridges.“You're a savage,” Dr. Kurlan said.“And you are a fraud and a thief.”“I'll have to report this, ”Captain O'Toole said.“Make sure you also write up Vera for smacking Emiliano Cervantes, even though he hadit coming as Kurlan did. Assault on a restrained, helpless inmate. Felony charge, I believe. Guys are in this joint for doing a lot less and I'm one of them.”“That's different.”“Oh? Let's talk about how it is different some time.”***When they entered the dining hall, it was the indoor version of the reception they hadreceived outside. The two of them circulated the room together as the TV cameras wenton and reporters scribbled. East Side mothers rushed up and wrapped them in bear hugs.The mothers kept telling the captain that they had never heard of a police officer doingwhat he had done.
 
“You are a great man,” the mothers told the captain repeatedly.“Captain,”whispered Billy. “I'm supposed to be the star here, not you.”Like the officers outside, the ones inside made plain their feelings toward CaptainO'Toole. Captain Morrill's face was hard with acrimony. He had fallen from commander of an assault force to enforced complicity in a topsy-turvy, police-bashing farce.Whenever Captain O'Toole neared a trooper under Captain Morrill's command, thetrooper turned away. Even his own officers were cool, except for Officer Wynette and acouple of other rookies. Still in their riot gear, the troopers had come to storm the placeand put down an inmate uprising; instead, they had been treated to one of their ownhumiliating two of their own, in public, with the press grinning like jackals.
 It was an affront to police officers everywhere. Unforgivable! One of our own turning against us! Captain O'Toole the traitor!
For Captain O'Toole, it was his first experience on the other side of the legendary bluewall, and it hit him like a kick in the head. This time, he made no remarks that could beupsetting to police. Nor were the officers any too pleased with Billy, the sicko molester of Joy Stojak andwho knows how many other innocent girls, dressed up in a fancy suit and playing prosecutor, lawyer, judge, jury and hangman. With that turncoat O'Toole and that snakeCarson cooperating every step of the way, the kid had sandbagged Rick and Jag andcommandeered the media in a vicious attack on law and order.Whenever he got within choke-hold range of an officer, Billy attempted to mollify theseimpulses with chat about how delicious lunch was going to be. (“Oh, the oven-roasteds.Garlic, olive oil, fresh chopped parsley; then, under the broiler until crispy brown.Yummy!”). It was nearly noon. Billy told people that lunch would start in about twentyminutes and the program was tentatively scheduled to begin again at around two.He had no idea how he was going to feed everybody.Sentiment in the dining room eventually tipped more toward a free lunch than animmediate showdown shootout -- the lunch had sounded especially good -- and Billy andCaptain O'Toole eased out of there.***They went to the interrogation room where they sat down at the little table in the middleof the room. Billy waited for Captain O'Toole to speak. When he didn't, Billy said, “Soyou see the situation. Emotions are running high. There's a lot of confusion and a lot of guns.”“What's on your mind?” Captain O'Toole said.“I'm sorry. It must hurt.”“I'll deal with it.”“Having them treat you ...”“What do you want to tell me?”“Do you believe that I am innocent?”“Yes.”
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