My Friday had been going very well weather-wise and otherwise.. I had
just returned to the cabin from town about 2:45. .
I was craving some fresh air and decided I'd be the |good little Pioneer Wifey and get a wheelbarrow full
of wood from the wood shed so Joe wouldn't have to do this when he got home
from work.
I am tossing wood into the wheelbarrow and hear then see a marked
RCMP car driving very fast up the road by our cabin ..No lights or sirens going.
 |
| of course this is NOT the actual car! |
I just decided it
was an officer having fun speeding where no one would see him before he quit
work as I'd not seen any other vehicle on the road while I was outside and have
never seen an RCMP vehicle out here even cruising around in the years we have
lived out here.
I brought the wood to up to the
cabin and never thought about this
sighting again.
I am inside the cabin enjoying the silence and puttering. Joe calls
to see what supper plans are etc. and tells me he's headed to the gym and
maybe a beer with the boys after that. I hang up the phone and I am plugging in my
Ipad in the hallway (remember now, this cabin is small....about 10-15 steps
from hall to front door......or anywhere really! ) and looking forward to
relaxing and enjoying the scenery from inside the cabin.I when I hear the
sound of someone coming up the deck stairs onto the deck. I think "OH,
Joe's here" then I say "nope, just talked to him...he's at the
gym. Can't get out here that quickly.......I'm not nervous but cautious as
in do I open or not open the door.
No window/peep hole in the door and I don't want to show myself by looking
out the window before I at least hear the person on the other side of the door.
There is a soft knock on the door.
Which I am anticipating and as I’m looking at my door I then realize MY DOOR IS NOT LOCKED!! (my kids will not believe this as Alan swears his arm has almost been broken
many times because "mom's the only one who always locks doors to the house
in Moose Jaw").
SO as I walk up to the door, to mask
the sound of the deadbolt locking, I loudly say Who is there? What can I do for you?" while I lean into the
door and bolt the deadbolt.
I hear a male voice say "I need some gas. My car ran out of gas
in your driveway" (We have LONG lane you come thru a gate and it's
gravel and I'd not heard any car drive up to the cabin. )
I said very calmly and kindly, "I'm so
sorry I don't have any gas. we don't keep gas for our cars here". He
said "OK" and I heard him leaving the deck. I dash to
the bedroom to look out the east bedroom window and see nothing.
I then go to the south window (remember small bedroom) I see a person, about
my height in a black hoodie with hood up
with a very bulging black backpack on his back. He's sauntering up the
gravel lane. It is then I see a dark blue Jeep Cherokee/Laredo that's about 50
feet inside our gate on the gravel lane.
I'm a mom....I preach helping people....it's sunny but windy and cold
day out, and I know he will have to walk......I keep thinking what I’d like
someone to do if this was my kid……so I raise the window and holler "hey, I'm sorry I don't have any gas.
Do you have a cellphone?" he says "It's dead."
I then say "well, is there someone I can call to come bring you
gas?" He never acted agitated or rushed while I'm trying to figure out how to help him by asking questions!
(I was for sure NOT letting him inside the cabin because that is a rule
I have if I don't know someone. ) and I am home ALONE!
He then says " I'm not from around here....no there's nobody to
call."
HMMMMMM...the MOM in me left and the DAUGHTER OF A CRIMINAL TRIAL LAWYER began to kick in. ( I
suppose that daughter also kicked in when she strategically talked loudly while
softly locking the deadbolt at the front door too!)
JUST as the kid is about 10 feet from the vehicle that he drove into our lane and I'm thinking I
need to call Joe or call a tow truck! IN SWOOSHES A WHITE UNMARKED
SUBURBAN with flashing lights on top……….(my
angel I realize later) AND OUT
COMES A MAN IN DARK CLOTHING AND THE KID DROPS TO THE GROUND.
I RUN into the other room to get the binoculars and get back and see it
is a COP holding a GUN at the kid on the ground
as he is standing by his Suburban. A dog is barking inside the Suburban…The
cop keeps pointing the gun toward the
kid on the ground who is laying facedown in the snow off the gravel lane.
I'm thinking what is
happening here and saying to myself I do NOT want anyone to die on my land!
This situation goes on about 10
minutes when a car like the one I saw speeding up the road earlier drives into our lane behind the white
SUV. Man in RCMP attire gets out and the two cops talk and he takes out
handcuffs and goes to the feet of the kid on the ground and handcuffs the kid. All the while the First Cop, the one with the
GUN, pointed at the kid gets closer to the kid on the ground making sure he
doesn't move.
The DAUGHTER OF CRIMINAL TRIAL LAWYER has really kicked in now. I
continue watching it all through my binoculars as much for making sure the kid
behaves as making sure the cops behave too. Much to my relief.....the kid
never resisted arrest and they cops were very gentle in frisking him once
cuffed.
THEN Cop Car No. 3 arrives! Two cars are RCMP and
Suburban is the Canine Division of Moose Jaw Police Dept. Once Car No. 3
arrived they put the kid in Car No. 2. Everyone stayed up there for quite
a while.I finally got the camera and snapped a few photos of the cars But totally didn't think of snapping shots while
the standoff was happening. I wish I had but I wanted to watch HOW the
interaction between the kid/cops went more than capturing it on camera. If I
left to get the camera I might have missed something that wasn't kosher. Glad all was done properly.
Eventually, the SUV Moose Jaw Cop came to the cabin. He wanted to take a
statement from me and shared that they had been after this guy for a few hours
and had already arrested his partner who had jumped out of the stolen SUV when
he realized they were going to get caught.
The Moose Jaw Cop was beyond
impressed at how I handled it. (I was too! Ha!) and so was Joe!) He said he was driving on the road by our cabin looking for this suspect and just happened to
notice a kid in black with backpack on him walking towards the vehicle they
were looking for that was parked in my lane and that’s when he pulled into our
property and SAVED THE DAY!!!! The SUV
was stolen from Regina....
What perfect TIMING.........WOW! What TIMING!!!!
He had NOT run out of gas...........but was looking for empty houses to
steal things. We figure the backpack was full of tools to break
in........certainly no room to carry new things found........
This kid was SOOOOOOOOOOO calm with me in answering my questions considering he was being chased in a stolen
vehicle. Cops said "we are dealing with a professional".
I was never anxious...till later when Joe got home. I didn’t fall apart
but it was for sure something to debrief about and I just couldn’t spend much
time thinking about all the ‘what if’s’ and I won’t ……there are far too many
positives about living out here to allow something like this to make me want to
leave this place we love so much.
I did make a promise to myself to lock the garage, my vehicles and door
at all times…especiallywhen home alone!
I was sure paying attention to my gut which was saying DO NOT OPEN THE
DOOR!
Eventually a tow truck appeared and took the stolen SUV away. The entire event lasted about 90
minutes. Joe missed it all……poor
man. I had texted Joe saying “call ASAP” which wasn’t ASAP but he got the
scoop so he could go tell his buddies how I survived a close brush with a
fugitive while home alone!
I also thought "OK Ginny, good thing you are learning to think
for yourself more in your later years as Joe may not be available
to tell you what to do" Just how it goes sometimes!
Typing this, I just realized the freedom and calm that comes in a scary moment
when you feel confident thinking for yourself............What a concept!
Joe said later that though he wished he'd have been here (mostly to see the
gun standoff I think) He was glad I was OK. And had he been here it might have made this all go down differently
as he said he probably would have opened
the door and in an attempt to you know "protect his woman"
things might have not gone as smoothly
I had to go into town to give my statement this morning about what transpired. Again the
RCMP were impressed with how I handled the situation, locking the door and not
inviting him back to the cabin or going outside the cabin myself. (Must be ALL those crime shows I don’t watch!
The RCMP did share that this person was a dangerous person but were not
targeting us personally, they just wanted money/things to sell for money.
Took a bit to get to sleep but slept like a baby and Today was a new day........these guys are in jail and
charges are laid against them and life goes on!
I’m glad this all had such a happy ending for everyone except the two
criminals!
Bloggles the Mind………..Doesn’t It?
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