“There's another issue. We need to identify why the officer was at your father's property in the first place. Was there a complaint? Who made it? What exactly was reported? Was the officer dispatched there, or did he initiate the contact himself?”
Emily looked at her brother.
“We don't know.”
“Then we need the dispatch records and the incident log.”
Laura made a note.
“We should also request the complete body camera footage, any patrol vehicle footage, radio communications, and any other recordings connected to the incident. We should not rely on a short clip or a summary written by the officer involved.”
David folded his arms.
“What if the department refuses?”
“Then we consider the appropriate formal procedures. But first, we make a clear request and preserve the evidence that already exists.”
Emily nodded.
Laura turned toward David.
“I also want to discuss your actions.”
David's expression tightened.
“Okay.”
“You said the officer struck you.”
“Yes.”
“Did you strike him?”
David hesitated.
“Yes.”
“How many times?”
“I don't know exactly. It happened quickly.”
“Did you continue after he was no longer a threat?”
David looked down.
“I don't think so.”
“You need to be certain about what you remember. Don't fill gaps with assumptions.”
David nodded.
Laura continued.
“You may be asked about the fight. Your injuries will be relevant, but they do not automatically establish who initiated every physical movement. The recordings and witness accounts matter.”
“I wasn't trying to attack a police officer,” David said. “I was trying to get him away from my father.”
“I understand. But we need to present the facts accurately.”
David looked at the photographs on the desk.
For the first time, he seemed to understand that the incident would not be resolved simply by explaining that he had been protecting Daniel.
There would be questions.
There would be statements.
There would be conflicting accounts.
And every detail would matter.
Laura closed the folder.
“One more thing. Has anyone contacted you directly since the incident?”
David took out his phone.
“I received a message from an unknown number.”
He showed her the screenshot.
Laura read it carefully.
“We need to preserve this. Do not respond.”
“Could it have been the officer?”
“We don't know. Don't speculate. Save the original message, the sender information, and the time it was received.”
Emily leaned forward.
“What if someone is trying to intimidate us?”
“That's possible, but we shouldn't make that conclusion without more information. If another message arrives, document it and contact me.”
David nodded.
Laura stood.
“I'll prepare the requests and contact the department through the appropriate channels. For now, your priority is your father's recovery.”
***
At the police department, Sergeant Reed had already begun a more detailed review.
The internal affairs investigator assigned to the case was Lieutenant Angela Carter.
She had spent nearly fifteen years investigating complaints involving police conduct. She was known for asking the same question repeatedly until the answers became consistent—or until they revealed contradictions.
She entered the conference room carrying a folder.
“Sergeant Reed?”
He stood.
“Lieutenant.”
“Do we have the recordings?”
“Both the body camera footage and the neighbor's video have been preserved.”
“Good. Is there an initial statement from Officer Harris?”
“Yes.”
“Have you compared it with the footage?”
“I have.”
Angela placed her folder on the table.
“And?”
Reed turned on the screen.
“I think we need to examine the sequence carefully.”
He played the body camera footage.
The first few minutes showed Mark approaching the property and speaking with Daniel.
The audio was clear.
The camera moved as Mark stepped closer.
Then the image shifted toward Daniel's chest.
Angela leaned forward.
“Pause.”
Reed stopped the video.
“Zoom in slightly.”
The image enlarged.
Mark's hand was visible gripping Daniel's shirt.
Angela watched it again.
“How old is the man?”
“Fifty-eight.”
“Any reported threat?”
“Not in the initial dispatch summary.”
“Any weapon?”
“No.”
“Any indication that he was attempting to strike the officer?”
“Not in the portion we've reviewed.”
Angela looked at him.
“Then why did the officer's report describe the man as physically resistant?”
Reed opened the report.
“That is one of the points we need to clarify.”
They continued watching.
David came out of the house.
The audio became louder.
There was shouting.
Then the physical confrontation began.
Angela paused the video again.
“Do we have the neighbor's recording?”
Reed opened the second file.
They watched it from the beginning.
This time, the angle was clearer.
It showed Mark's hand gripping Daniel's shirt.
It showed Daniel attempting to move backward.
It showed David entering the driveway.
And it showed the moment Daniel fell.
Angela sat back.
“Has the witness been interviewed?”
“Not formally.”
“Arrange it. We need her account independently.”
Reed nodded.
Angela continued.
“Get the dispatch recording. I want the original call, the dispatcher notes, the time the officer was assigned, and any messages sent before he arrived.”
“Understood.”
“And I want the officer's full written statement, not just the initial report.”
Reed closed the video window.
“There's another issue.”
“What?”
“The officer reported that the son attacked him.”
“Did he describe how the confrontation began?”
“He says the son struck him without warning.”
Angela looked back at the screen.