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Just as our conversation was wrapping up, we received our first call. It was after midnight, and back up was needed at Studebaker West. The engine sped us to our destination, throwing me back in my seat. I understood why some might be afraid of his driving.
We pulled behind the first cop to arrive and I was told not to “… get in the middle of anything.” I trailed behind, trying not to get in the way or pressure the two males being questioned. I heard the first officer ask them how much they had to drink, but I could barely hear because I was so far back. I inconspicuously attempted to edge closer to the scene. Still 20 feet away from the officers I sat on the cold cement edge of the patio. I felt its smooth surface as I listened intently to what was happening. “There is an easy way and a hard way,” I was surprised to hear the officer say. The student continues to purse his lips, not daring to speak. He sits there, staring blankly at the police officer, afraid of what might happen if he admits to drinking. After collecting their IDs, the officer calls the station to run their names through the system. They’re clean. I can tell he is getting frustrated by their silence. “I mean come on,” the first officer said with a raised voice, “this is not a hard question. How much have you been drinking?” Silence still filled the area. Without a sign between the other officers, Honeycutt walked away from the scene.
He started towards his car; unsure of where he was going, I followed him with my eyes for only a second. I returned to staring at the young men and two other police officers quickly. I had to see what was going to happen next.. I continued to sit on the edge of the patio waiting for one of the students to break under the pressure of silence. Officer Honeycutt returned after only a moment. He carried with him two devices to test their breath for alcohol. The devices weren’t as accurate as breathalyzers, but they would do the job. Tyler, the guy on the left, never stopped arguing with the officers, even after both tested positive. Frustrated, I heard an officer say in a powerful voice, “I’m not here to debate anything with you, I could take you to jail!”
“I know that,” I heard Cameron, his friend, humbly say. He went on to explain, “I feel intimidated by you, I didn’t feel like I could tell you that I had something to drink, as a minor.” The officer replied almost reassuringly, “All you had to do, is tell the truth” Left with no choice, the first officer on the scene ticketed both of the students with underage drinking. I heard Cameron get choked up, he released a faint cry from his chapped lips and hunched over his lap, sitting limp on the edge of the patio. The first police officer explained to them what to do following their citation. When he was finished, the boys slowly walked away, and the group of police officers smiled. They recounted the events. “Ya, I was ready for you to let them go with a warning,” said one. “If they would have just told the truth…” I heard another say.
