Harris turned toward the supervisor who had accompanied him.
DEPUTY CHIEF HARRIS: "Please arrange for the incident to be formally documented and reviewed. Preserve the relevant records and identify the witnesses. Officer Mitchell should be removed from direct contact with the people involved while the initial review takes place."
The supervisor nodded.
SUPERVISOR: "Understood, sir."
Ryan looked stunned.
RYAN MITCHELL: "You're suspending me over an argument?"
DEPUTY CHIEF HARRIS: "I haven't made a final disciplinary decision. I'm directing temporary measures while the facts are established. Given the allegation of physical assault and the witnesses present, that is appropriate."
RYAN MITCHELL: "But you haven't even heard my side."
DEPUTY CHIEF HARRIS: "You will have an opportunity to give your account. So will everyone else."
Ryan looked toward Daniel, apparently hoping to find some sign that the confrontation could still be settled privately.
Daniel offered none.
RYAN MITCHELL: "You must be satisfied with yourself."
DANIEL BROOKS: "This isn't about satisfaction."
RYAN MITCHELL: "You walked in here and turned everyone against me."
DANIEL BROOKS: "I walked in here expecting to do my job. You chose what happened next."
Harris raised one hand.
DEPUTY CHIEF HARRIS: "That is enough. Officer Mitchell, accompany the supervisor. You will receive instructions regarding the review."
Ryan stood motionless for several seconds.
He looked at the other officers, but nobody came to his defense. David remained beside the desk. Emily kept her hands near the keyboard. The officers who had previously avoided the confrontation now appeared unwilling to contradict what they had witnessed.
Ryan finally turned and followed the supervisor toward the hallway.
His departure did not bring immediate relief.
The incident had exposed uncomfortable questions about conduct, accountability, and the way employees responded when someone crossed a line.
Harris waited until Ryan was out of sight before turning back to Daniel.
DEPUTY CHIEF HARRIS: "I owe you an explanation for the confusion surrounding your arrival. I don't yet know how it happened, but I intend to find out."
Daniel nodded.
DANIEL BROOKS: "Thank you, sir. I want the facts established, and I want everyone involved to be treated fairly."
DEPUTY CHIEF HARRIS: "That's how it should be handled."
Harris glanced toward Emily.
DEPUTY CHIEF HARRIS: "Please preserve the original notification, the confirmation request, and your record of the incident. Do not modify the original entries. If additional information becomes available, it should be added through the proper process."
EMILY CARTER: "Yes, sir."
Harris then looked around the reception area.
DEPUTY CHIEF HARRIS: "Everyone here has a responsibility to report what they witnessed accurately. You are not being asked to speculate about anyone's motives. You are being asked to tell the truth."
Several officers nodded.
One of them, a young patrol officer named Thomas Reed, stepped forward hesitantly.
THOMAS REED: "Deputy Chief, I saw the punch. I didn't say anything at the time, but I'll provide a statement."
Harris acknowledged him.
DEPUTY CHIEF HARRIS: "Thank you. Please give your account to the reviewing supervisor."
Another officer approached.
Then another.
Some had witnessed the entire confrontation. Others had only seen part of it. Harris instructed each person to distinguish between what they had personally observed and what they had heard from someone else.
For the first time that morning, the silence in the station began to break.
Daniel watched the officers come forward.
He did not celebrate. He knew that a few statements would not automatically resolve every problem, and he had no intention of treating the incident as proof that the entire department was corrupt.
But he also understood that accountability depended on people being willing to describe what they had seen, even when doing so was uncomfortable.
After the initial statements had been arranged, Daniel left the reception area to have his cheek examined.
The injury was minor, but the medical staff cleaned the cut and documented its appearance. Daniel answered their questions honestly and declined to exaggerate the pain.
When he returned, the reception desk had been cleared, and the administrative review was underway.
Harris was speaking with the supervisor near the office entrance.
Emily remained at her computer, checking that the relevant records had been preserved.
She looked up when Daniel approached.
EMILY CARTER: "The report has been submitted. I kept the wording factual and included the times from the system."
DANIEL BROOKS: "Good. Thank you for being accurate."
EMILY CARTER: "I was afraid he'd make things difficult for me."