2025 — Aug-15 (03:30)

Slowly, inexorably, as the journey of life continues, my brain finds itself thinking the same thoughts about some things. So often, not much comes to light — except when it does — as it just did for me.

Basically, coming to light for me are some details of my interaction with someone — and possibly something that I can do to get unstuck.

This morning I watched a video that began with a speeding vehicle, flashing blue, and a routine call to the station. Pretty typical.

And the vehicle starts moving a little — then pulls back out onto the highway — siren, flashing red and blue, and speeds exceeding 110 mph (177.03 km/h).

The officer updates the station as well as backup responding.

While this is going on, the driver has made a U further ahead on the four-lane roadway in rural Wisconsin. The fleeing vehicle, now almost about to pass in the opposite direction highway patrol pursuing — flips on his turn signal, slows, and responsibly makes a turn into a two-lane side road.

Now, the speeds are 60 to 90 mph (144.84 km/h). The driver in flight is speeding, and doesn't stop at four-way stops — but does use the turn signal a few more times. The vehicle patrol in pursuit gets very close at each turn, but has trouble getting in the right position to execute a PIT maneuver.

Finally, though, the pursuing officer does disable the evasive vehicle and three officers exit their vehicles, shotguns drawn. "Get out of the vehicle!"

"Open the door from the outside!" The suspect can't get his arm in position to open the door.

"Open your window a little, so you can reach around and grab the handle!!" The suspect knows that his hands probably should remain visible, and is confused for a moment how he is going to reach into the vehicle to lower the window. He makes an awkward attempt, just ending up contorting his arms briefly.

The suspect looks at officer #1, who gives the order, "Just reach in, then, and lower … good. Now pull up on the handle. That's right."

"Okay, walk towards us. Slowly."

"Don't worry about your vehicle. It's fine. It's dug in and's not goin' anywhere."

"Put your arms behind you. Okay, good"

The officer holds the young suspect by the arm, without saying much, as the other officers move out of position and head over to the suspect's vehicle to assess the damage and wait for the wrecker.

For a few minutes now, officer #1 and the other officers, and the viewers of this highway patrol video log, are just there at this scene together. There's a settling into this situation that calls for knowing that the chase — that they didn't know what the person they were facing might be capable of — but that, now, they knew —

From the moment the officers leapt from their vehicles, shotguns drawn, there had been a sudden recognition of someone standing there with them who, absolutely, got himself in trouble: which happens in some circumstances and which represents normal human behavior—

"How old are you?" Seventeen. Something, something, Mom.

The next part of the story is an encounter with fundamental human meaning — a shiningly ordinary encounter — not in the sense of uninteresting — rather, in the opposite sense of the fundamental ways people communicate with each other, how belonging is fostered, care is taken and guidance given, and arms come to rest upon shoulders.