And when she questioned him, he had treated the question itself as evidence of defiance.
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "Did the message instruct you to use force?"
Marcus Reed: "No."
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "Did it instruct you to strike anyone?"
Marcus Reed: "No."
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "Did it tell you to push the person to the ground?"
Marcus Reed: "No."
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "Then explain why you used force."
Marcus rubbed his palms against his trousers.
Marcus Reed: "I thought she was trying to get past me."
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "Was she holding a weapon?"
Marcus Reed: "I didn't see one."
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "Did she threaten you?"
Marcus Reed: "She challenged what I was doing."
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "That was not my question."
Marcus Reed: "No. She didn't threaten me."
Mitchell wrote down the answer.
Outside the room, the assigned investigator arrived carrying a secure case file. The interview would be continued with the proper procedures, including an examination of the communication Marcus had described.
Before the investigator entered, Mitchell asked one final question.
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "Officer Reed, did the person who sent the message tell you that the woman might be a judge?"
Marcus looked up abruptly.
For the first time during the interview, his expression showed something beyond frustration.
Marcus Reed: "No."
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "Did the message say she might be a court employee?"
Marcus Reed: "No."
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "Did anyone tell you that the person you were looking for was dangerous?"
Marcus hesitated.
Marcus Reed: "The message said she might try to leave before the matter was resolved."
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "What matter?"
Marcus Reed: "It didn't specify."
Mitchell stared at him.
The message had named a person, supplied a vague description, suggested that she might be in a courthouse, and implied that she should not be allowed to leave. Yet it had not explained what she was suspected of doing, what authority supported the instruction, or who was responsible for verifying the information.
The more Marcus described it, the less it resembled a clear assignment.
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "I want the message preserved exactly as you received it. Do not delete it, forward it, or contact the sender. The investigator will arrange to examine the original communication."
Marcus Reed: "I haven't deleted anything."
Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell: "Good. Leave it untouched."
Marcus nodded, but his eyes had returned to the table.
He had spent the morning insisting that he was following instructions.
Now he was being asked to prove what those instructions had actually said.
And somewhere beyond the courthouse walls, the person who had sent that message had not yet been identified.
The investigator introduced himself as Daniel Price, a member of the department's internal investigations unit. He placed a recorder on the table, confirmed the time, and explained that Marcus would be asked to provide a detailed account of the incident.
Marcus sat straighter in his chair.
He had always believed that an investigation was something that happened to other people. He had interviewed suspects, written reports, and watched witnesses struggle to explain events under pressure. He knew how easily a careless statement could become a problem.
Now every word he spoke was being examined.
Daniel Price: "Officer Reed, before we proceed, I want to clarify something. You have stated that you received a message asking you to check the presence of a woman named Maya Reynolds at the courthouse. Is that accurate?"
Marcus Reed: "Yes."
Daniel Price: "You have also stated that the message did not include a photograph, a warrant number, or a clear explanation of the suspected offense."
Marcus Reed: "That's correct."
Daniel Price: "And you did not verify the message through dispatch before approaching Judge Brooks."
Marcus Reed: "I believed the person who sent it."
Daniel Price: "That was not my question."
Marcus looked at the recorder.
Marcus Reed: "No. I didn't verify it through dispatch."
Daniel Price: "Did you have any reason to believe Judge Brooks was armed?"
Marcus Reed: "No."
Daniel Price: "Did you observe her committing a crime?"
Marcus Reed: "No."
Daniel Price: "Did she threaten you physically?"
Marcus Reed: "No."
Daniel Price: "Did she attempt to strike you?"
Marcus Reed: "No."
Daniel Price: "Did she try to take your equipment or interfere with your radio?"
Marcus Reed: "No."
Daniel Price: "Then describe the specific event that caused you to believe physical force was necessary."
Marcus pressed his lips together.
For a few seconds, he appeared to be searching for a phrase that would make his actions sound reasonable.
Marcus Reed: "She wouldn't move when I told her to."
Daniel Price: "Was she legally required to move simply because you told her to?"
Marcus Reed: "I was conducting an inquiry."