What is the dumbest thing you've done on duty?

**keith720** · 05-29-11, 08:46 PM

I know we've all done stupid or funny things that cause us to blush, even long after the event. For me, the one that comes immediately to mind, is the day I went through most of my shift with a big booger on my black uniform tie. I'd blown my nose earlier in the day, and somehow, missed the handkerchief. It was in the winter, so my hope then and now, is that no one but me noticed. (I doubt it!)

**jmur5074** · 05-29-11, 10:23 PM

Rescue got sent to a fall one night. Eldery female fell down her stairs, was injured and pinned under something that fell on top of her when her downward flight ended. She called using her some sort of medical alert subscription. She told 911 her doors were all locked.

Dispatch always sends PD with rescue when there is a possibility they'll need to force entry for a medical. Why, I really don't know. They've got all the fancy hand tools. All I can do it kick the door. But anyway, I got dispatched.

Me and my partner arrived, knock on and check all of the doors, everything is locked. We begin checking windows and find one window unlocked. I force the screen off, push the window up, and he gives me a boost into the house. I do a super stealthy secret ninja barrel roll across the wood floors, knocking over an end table, lamp, and send my flashlight skidding to the other side of the room. I begin walking through the house looking for our victim, loudly announcing "Police!" and "where are you!?". I eventually hear a voice UPstairs....I thought that seemed odd considering our victim fell DOWN the stairs.

A confused woman, who looked sorta elderly, asked me what I was doing in her house. I went through the long list of questions...and all of them she gave the wrong answers. She's the only one home, she didn't fall down the stairs, she didn't call 911, she was sleeping, she's not hurt, she lives alone...etc, etc. I peek my head down the stairs and say "Hey....what's the address on the front of the house?"

I broke into the wrong house.

BUT...for the record, dispatch gave me, my partner, AND rescue the wrong address. The house with our victim was across the street.

**Cidp24** · 05-29-11, 10:35 PM

A deputy friend of mine stopped at the pd for a minute one night. I met and spoke to him in a back hallway as I was walking out the door. The back parking lot was dark and I noticed he had left his car running. I took off and jumped in the driver's seat to play a joke on him and move it. About the time my butt hit the seat and I reached for the shift lever, his wife, seated in the passenger seat, said "We going somewhere?" I almost screamed and jumped out of the car. I never saw her until she spoke and it scared the crap out of me. That was close to 20 years ago and we still laugh about it.

There has to be some "more dumb" things but I'll have to think on it.

**sgtbear111** · 05-30-11, 04:43 AM

Writing a guy for failing to stop for a stop sign. Got him pulled over in an apt house parking lot. We argued a bit about the violation and the icy roads, he looked both ways and from 10 mph accelerated across the stop bars. No braking or brake lights seen. I finished writing the ticket and got out to get his signature. As I got up to his driver door. my feet went out from under me on the ice so fast I had no chance to break the fall. I landed on my butt facing back towards my car. I was dazed a moment and the violator asked if I was OK, my reply was "yeah, aw sh*t". He leans out and extends his hand to help me up, I hand him the clipboard with the ticket on it, and he laughed about getting his money's worth as he signs it and hands it back down to me. I handed up his copy, and got up. He asked me again if I was OK, and extended his hand. We shook hands and said good night.

**ChesCopPodz** · 05-30-11, 09:23 AM

At my old department, in about my third month on my own, another officer marked that he was in foot pursuit. I kinda didn't hear the word "foot" and got on the radio saying I was en route with road spikes.

**Buttercup** · 05-30-11, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by keith720

I know we've all done stupid or funny things that cause us to blush, even long after the event. For me, the one that comes immediately to mind, is the day I went through most of my shift with a big booger on my black uniform tie. I'd blown my nose earlier in the day, and somehow, missed the handkerchief. It was in the winter, so my hope then and now, is that no one but me noticed. (I doubt it!)

Ewwww!!!

**Broke Hoss** · 05-30-11, 04:52 PM

I am known for being somewhat "jumpy"; the guy that will swing a punch, yell a cussword or even grab a gun if startled bad enough (wife says it's a guilty conscience).

When I was in CID I was called up front to meet a victim who was there for an appointment. I approached him, looking straight at him as I walked up to him. And just about the time I started extending my hand to shake his hand, someone pops a balloon behind me (they were preparing for a retirement party). Without any hesitation, I unholster my pistol while still looking straight at my victim. His eyes got big as saucers!

The gun clears leather, but I never moved/pointed it towards him. Of course, I'm already apologizing to him and he actually took it very well. I still expected, but never received, a call to visit the Chief.

**Jenna** · 05-30-11, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by Broke Hoss

When I was in CID I was called up front to meet a victim who was there for an appointment. I approached him, looking straight at him as I walked up to him. And just about the time I started extending my hand to shake his hand, someone pops a balloon behind me (they were preparing for a retirement party). Without any hesitation, I unholster my pistol while still looking straight at my victim. His eyes got big as saucers!

I wonder how many other guns were unholstered when that balloon popped....

**Sheriff603** · 05-30-11, 10:51 PM

My first day on the job I was told to help the detectives serve a Arrest/search warrant I followed last in a group of five cars down a long narrow drive way, The suspect was in the yard and everyone bailed out and he was taken into custody and thats when they asked me to transport the subject to the jail. i walked him to my car and realized I locked my keys in the car. which meant the Detectives the sheriff and the chief deputy could not get out. NOW I OWN 5 SETS OF KEYS TO MY VEHICLE...

**Jenna** · 05-30-11, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by Sheriff603

My first day on the job I was told to help the detectives serve a Arrest/search warrant I followed last in a group of five cars down a long narrow drive way, The suspect was in the yard and everyone bailed out and he was taken into custody and thats when they asked me to transport the subject to the jail. i walked him to my car and realized I locked my keys in the car. which meant the Detectives the sheriff and the chief deputy could not get out. NOW I OWN 5 SETS OF KEYS TO MY VEHICLE...

**Cidp24** · 05-30-11, 11:05 PM

I was booking a prisoner when a neighboring agency called in pursuit of armed robbery suspects who had shot the clerk. HQ is less than a mile from the Interstate so I threw the prisoner in a cell, jumped in my car and headed out. I got to the Interstate in time to Stop-Stick the suspects. I fell in behind the pursuit and the car took an exit and wrecked out. I jumped out running after one the the suspects that went into the woods and when I grabbed my for sidearm, it was not there. From that day on, if I put my gun in the gun locker my patrol car keys go with it.

I went back to the car and got my shotgun.

**gopherpuckfan** · 05-31-11, 09:51 AM

I ran a plate early one morning and State's database was taking a while to return the owner info. The vehicle headed over the river and I exited to head back towards the airport. Right after I took the exit, I get the return back and it's for a Gross Misdemeanor warrant. I'm too committed to the exit at this point, but it's too far until the next turn around, so I start ditch diving and crossing multiple lanes of freeway so I can get turned around to head after the car (which I can still see driving across the LONG river bridge). I cross 3 grassy, hilly medians and come to the 4th one. Problem is, it's a lot deeper than the others and I get stuck, nose first, perpendicular to the freeway. My rear tires are BARELY making contact with the shoulder. Luckily, I didn't damage the squad. The worst part wasn't calling my Sgt to tell him what I did. It was the 7 citizens who stopped at various times, while I waited for the tow truck, to ask if I was ok

**ChesCopPodz** · 05-31-11, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Cidp24

I was booking a prisoner when a neighboring agency called in pursuit of armed robbery suspects who had shot the clerk. HQ is less than a mile from the Interstate so I threw the prisoner in a cell, jumped in my car and headed out. I got to the Interstate in time to Stop-Stick the suspects. I fell in behind the pursuit and the car took an exit and wrecked out. I jumped out running after one the the suspects that went into the woods and when I grabbed my for sidearm, it was not there. From that day on, if I put my gun in the gun locker my patrol car keys go with it.

I went back to the car and got my shotgun.

I stow my gun in the trunk after one time of leaving my gun in a locker at the jail. Luckily I didn't run into the problem you did, but it was enough. Now if I forget to put it back in the holster, it's at least right there in the car with me.

**gopherpuckfan** · 05-31-11, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by ChesCopPodz

I stow my gun in the trunk after one time of leaving my gun in a locker at the jail. Luckily I didn't run into the problem you did, but it was enough. Now if I forget to put it back in the holster, it's at least right there in the car with me.

I do the same thing

**Pudge** · 05-31-11, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by gopherpuckfan

I do the same thing

Ditto.

I nearly pulled a boner last night, but with the best of intentions.

Last night I parked my patrol car at the end of the night at our city garage. I'm getting in to my truck and I can hear a distant alarm activated near a factory just down the hill. It was a constant beeping similar to a fire alarm. They also have numerous tractor trailers there that commonly get broken into, and the alarm sounded like the beep of some trucks when the doors are open.

I call my partner on the cell phone and hop back in my patrol car to head down. As I get there I'm out walking around trying to find the source of the alarm. The closer I am, it sounds more like a smoke detector, but at some points in the lot it sounds like it may be on a residential street above, other times like it's coming from the inside of the factory. With as warm as it had been, there was steam coming from the metal roof of the building, plus with not being able to track down where the sound was coming from I was almost at the brink of having the FD paged.....until I found the source. A discarded detector in a dumpster that was going off.

I can't imagine the ribbing I'd have taken if 3 engines, 2 ladders, and an assload of personnel rolled out at 2am to find that in the dumpster.

**irishmick** · 05-31-11, 04:06 PM

There was one night I spent the better part of a shift with my badge upside down. My son helped me get ready and since it's a six-pointed star, I didn't notice there was anything wrong until someone pointed it out to me.

**Pudge** · 05-31-11, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by irishmick

There was one night I spent the better part of a shift with my badge upside down. My son helped me get ready and since it's a six-pointed star, I didn't notice there was anything wrong until someone pointed it out to me.

I've been known to change hat badges like that when they are left around. Troopers love to stop in our office to use the restroom. Few have caught on.

**Sheriff603** · 05-31-11, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by Cidp24

I was booking a prisoner when a neighboring agency called in pursuit of armed robbery suspects who had shot the clerk. HQ is less than a mile from the Interstate so I threw the prisoner in a cell, jumped in my car and headed out. I got to the Interstate in time to Stop-Stick the suspects. I fell in behind the pursuit and the car took an exit and wrecked out. I jumped out running after one the the suspects that went into the woods and when I grabbed my for sidearm, it was not there. From that day on, if I put my gun in the gun locker my patrol car keys go with it.

I went back to the car and got my shotgun.

I am lucky at my jail they run a hot booking room so there is no need to disarm !

**Jenna** · 05-31-11, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by Pudge

I've been known to change hat badges like that when they are left around. Troopers love to stop in our office to use the restroom. Few have caught on.

Now whenever we see a Trooper with an upside down hat badge, we'll know that Pudge was here!

**keith720** · 05-31-11, 08:45 PM

When I went to Police Week this year, I removed all of the extra weight from my duty belt, such as my cuffs, OC, taser holster and radio case. Yup, I went to work without 'em, but I had extra cuffs and OC at the station, and found a belt clip for the radio. I "borrowed" the chiefs taser holster and made it through the shift unscathed.