Final justice - W.E.B. Griffin [210]
McGuire removed the clip, counted the rounds it held, then worked the action and ejected the round in the chamber.
Matt reached into the breast pocket of the dinner jacket, came out with another magazine, and handed it to McGuire.
"This is the magazine, now empty, that was in my weapon," he said. "And somewhere over there is a live round I inadvertently ejected when this started."
"The crime scene people will find it," McGuire said.
Holding Matt's pistol carefully by the checkering on the wooden grips, he started to put it in the pocket of his suit coat.
"I think you're supposed to give that back to me," Matt said.
"What?"
"Regulations state that the first supervisor to reach the scene of an incident like this is to take the weapon used from the officer who used it, remove the magazine, count the remaining rounds, take possession of that magazine, then return the weapon to the officer, who will then load a fresh magazine into his weapon and return it to his holster."
"Sergeant, this is evidence," McGuire said.
"With all respect, sir, that is not what the regulations say."
"Shut up, Sergeant," McGuire said.
"Yes, sir," Sergeant Payne said.
A Fire Rescue ambulance began backing into the parking lot.
A Sixth District lieutenant, a very large man, came running up.
"My name is McGuire," McGuire said. "Dignitary Protection Unit. I'm the first supervisor on the scene."
"I've seen you around," the Sixth District lieutenant said.
"I have relieved Sergeant Payne of his weapon, and am now going to transport him to Internal Affairs."
"You're the shooter, Sergeant?" the lieutenant asked.
"I think all the questions to him are supposed to be asked by Internal Affairs," McGuire said. "Nevins will tell you what we know. Will you come with me, please, Sergeant Payne?"
"Yes, sir."
Lieutenant McGuire put his hand on Sergeant Payne's arm and walked with him through the parking lot to where the unmarked Dignitary Protection Crown Victoria sat, its engine running and its headlights and concealed blue flashers still on.
He put Matt in the backseat but didn't close the door.
Nevins came to the car a moment later.
"You drive, Al," McGuire said. "I'll ride in the back with Payne."
They exchanged questioning glances, then shrugged, and then Nevins got behind the wheel, and McGuire got in the backseat with Matt.
TWENTY-ONE
[ONE]
In Philadelphia, any discharge--even accidental-- of a police officer's weapon is investigated by the Internal Affairs Unit. Even if the discharge of the police officer's weapon results in a death, Internal Affairs still retains the weapon results in a death, Internal Affairs still retains the responsibility for, and authority to, conduct the investigation. The Homicide Division "assists."
This policy came into being when various civil rights organizations charged that police shootings--fatal and nonfatal--were being covered up when investigated by Homicide or Detective Divisions, and that only Internal Affairs, an elite unit already charged with the investigation of police malfeasance, could be trusted to investigate shootings fully and fairly.
When the first "assist officer, shots fired" call was broadcast to every police vehicle in Philadelphia, it was received in the Crown Victoria assigned to Inspector Michael Weisbach, of the Internal Affairs Division, who was at the time returning to his home from a social event at Temple Beth Emmanuel.
He did not respond to the call, primarily because he was a considerable distance from South Front Street, and realized that by the time he could get there, at least twenty, and probably more, other units would be on the scene.
But he did turn to his wife and say, "I really hope no one was hit. I'm really beat."
By the time he got to his home, however, other radio traffic had made it clear that he wasn't going to be able to go to bed anytime soon. And after he'd dropped his wife off and headed for the Internal Affairs office on Dungan