MITCHELL: "Did you ask the receptionist to check the appointment?"
RYAN: "Yes."
MITCHELL: "Did she find it?"
Ryan paused.
RYAN: "Eventually, yes."
MITCHELL: "Before or after you physically grabbed his clothing?"
RYAN: "After."
Mitchell looked up.
MITCHELL: "The receptionist has stated that she located the appointment before the physical confrontation escalated."
Ryan shifted in his chair.
RYAN: "I don't remember the exact order."
MITCHELL: "That's why we're reviewing the recordings."
The investigator beside her opened a folder containing the initial security report.
MITCHELL: "You also stated that Chief Coleman was being uncooperative. Can you identify a specific instruction he refused to follow?"
Ryan looked down.
RYAN: "He questioned me."
MITCHELL: "That wasn't my question."
RYAN: "He questioned my authority."
MITCHELL: "Was he required to agree with every statement you made?"
RYAN: "No."
MITCHELL: "Did he refuse to identify himself?"
RYAN: "No."
MITCHELL: "Did he attempt to enter a restricted area?"
RYAN: "Not that I saw."
MITCHELL: "Did he threaten you?"
Ryan hesitated.
RYAN: "No."
Mitchell placed her pen on the table.
MITCHELL: "Then I want you to explain why you believed physical contact was necessary."
Ryan exhaled.
RYAN: "I was frustrated. He wasn't responding the way I expected."
MITCHELL: "What did you expect?"
RYAN: "I expected him to cooperate without challenging every question."
MITCHELL: "Officer Blake, answering your questions is cooperation. Agreeing with your personal interpretation of a situation is not a requirement."
Ryan said nothing.
The interview continued.
Mitchell asked him to describe the moment he grabbed Andre's jacket. She asked whether he had received any instruction from a supervisor, whether he had identified a safety concern, and whether he had followed the department's guidance for handling visitors.
His answers became shorter.
Eventually, the investigator paused the recording.
MITCHELL: "We'll need to compare your account with the witness statements and video evidence. You will be contacted if further clarification is necessary."
Ryan nodded.
He stood, adjusted his uniform, and followed the investigator toward the door.
Before leaving, he turned back.
RYAN: "Lieutenant, can I ask something?"
MITCHELL: "Go ahead."
RYAN: "Is Chief Coleman personally involved in this?"
Mitchell looked at him.
MITCHELL: "He is the person who experienced the incident. But the review is being conducted by Internal Affairs. Our responsibility is to establish what happened, not to protect anyone's position."
Ryan lowered his eyes.
RYAN: "I understand."
MITCHELL: "I hope so."
Across the building, Andre Coleman was reviewing the department's operational records with Daniel Morrison.
The new chief had requested several years of personnel reports, public complaints, and internal assessments.
At first glance, the documents appeared ordinary.
There were reports concerning response times, administrative errors, training requirements, and routine personnel matters.
But as Andre examined them more carefully, he began noticing patterns.
Several complaints involved officers dismissing residents before fully understanding their concerns.
Others described unnecessarily aggressive communication during routine interactions.
Some complaints had been closed without a detailed explanation.
Others had been referred between departments until the original complainant stopped responding.
Andre placed one folder on the table.
ANDRE: "Daniel, how many of these complaints were reviewed by the same supervisory group?"
Daniel examined the document.
DANIEL: "Several were handled by the same division."
ANDRE: "And how many involved public-facing officers?"
DANIEL: "A significant number."
Andre turned another page.
ANDRE: "Why were these matters closed?"
DANIEL: "Some lacked sufficient evidence. Others were resolved through counseling or additional training."
ANDRE: "Was the person who submitted the complaint informed of the result?"
Daniel searched through the accompanying paperwork.
DANIEL: "In some cases, yes. In others, I can't confirm that."
Andre leaned back.
ANDRE: "That's a problem."
DANIEL: "I agree."
ANDRE: "A complaint isn't just another piece of paperwork. Someone took the time to report something they believed was wrong. If we don't communicate what happens afterward, we create the impression that speaking up accomplishes nothing."
Daniel nodded.
DANIEL: "We may need to review the entire complaint process."
ANDRE: "We do."
Andre opened his notebook and wrote down several priorities.
He wanted a complete assessment of public-facing conduct, clearer reporting procedures, stronger supervisory accountability, and a review of how complaints were investigated.
He also wanted to understand why employees who witnessed inappropriate behavior sometimes chose not to intervene.
That last question remained particularly important to him.
The incident with Ryan had not happened in an empty building.
Several people had watched.
Some had recognized that his behavior was inappropriate.