Sunday, July 1, 2012

Penetrating Trauma

We pulled out from the driveway as the apparatus bay doors started to close. Dispatch immediately raised us on the radio, "Truck 51, possible GSW, staging required."


We pulled up to the gate to the apartment complex. It was one that we visit quite often and we knew more or less where the apartment was. PD had swarmed the location managing to block all entrances with empty patrol cars. I hopped off the truck to see if one of the cruisers was unlocked so I could move it. No such luck.

A few minutes later we received an all clear notice. One of the officers ran out to move some vehicles to allow us access. We pulled in and went around to the back of the complex. I grabbed the medical equipment and looked for the right apartment. Through an open window I saw a couple of uniforms so I headed in that direction.

Once in the apartment I was directed to the front bedroom. Inside an officer somberly shook his head indicating the the suicide attempt had been successful. Rounding the corner of the bed the officer asked me to be careful of the shell casing on the ground for evidence. The 30 year old male was laying on his right side.

I checked for a pulse and breathing just to be sure. I then inspected the wound a little closer. This wasn't morbid curiosity. I was looking for brain matter because its presence would mean we wouldn't be working the mega code. In other words no life saving measures would be done. There was brain matter in several places on the body and the bed. As a matter of protocol my engineer placed the electrodes of the monitor onto the body. We watched as the line on the monitor, that would normally be making predictable jerks up and down, lay flat.

I  called it. Time of death, 2032.

Outside another officer took down our names and unit number. My engineer and I quietly continued our conversation that had been interrupted by the call while my captain finished some paperwork. The scene was turned over to the cops and the coroner was called. We headed back to the station, ready for another call.

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