CAPTAIN HARPER: "What information led you to that conclusion?"
BRADLEY: "I had been told to look out for someone who might be attempting to enter the courthouse."
CAPTAIN HARPER: "Who told you that?"
Bradley hesitated.
BRADLEY: "I received information earlier this morning."
CAPTAIN HARPER: "From whom?"
BRADLEY: "I would need to check my notes."
Captain Harper's expression hardened.
CAPTAIN HARPER: "You stopped a person, physically confronted her, and now say you were acting on information you cannot immediately identify?"
BRADLEY: "I was trying to prevent a security problem."
CAPTAIN HARPER: "That may be your explanation. It does not answer my question."
Bradley fell silent.
Captain Harper turned toward the clerk.
CAPTAIN HARPER: "Please record that Officer Miller states he believed the judge was Maya Reynolds and that he claims to have received information earlier this morning. We will need to establish the source and content of that information."
CLERK: "I've recorded it."
CAPTAIN HARPER: "Thank you."
She looked toward the spectators.
CAPTAIN HARPER: "Anyone who witnessed the incident should remain available to provide a statement. You are not required to agree with another witness, and no one should tell you what to say."
The young attorney nodded.
YOUNG ATTORNEY: "I have a video recording of part of the confrontation."
Captain Harper turned toward him.
CAPTAIN HARPER: "Please preserve the original recording. Do not edit it or delete any portion of it. An investigator can explain how to submit it through the appropriate process."
YOUNG ATTORNEY: "Understood."
The woman near the benches stepped forward.
WOMAN: "I saw the officer grab her before he struck her."
CAPTAIN HARPER: "Thank you. Please give the clerk your name and contact information so that your statement can be recorded."
Bradley looked increasingly uncomfortable.
He had expected the matter to be resolved through a brief explanation to his supervisor. Instead, the investigation was beginning to take shape in front of him.
Captain Harper turned back toward him.
CAPTAIN HARPER: "I want you to remain available while we establish the sequence of events. Do not contact the witnesses about their statements, and do not attempt to influence anyone's account."
BRADLEY: "I wouldn't do that."
CAPTAIN HARPER: "Then the instruction should not be difficult to follow."
She paused.
CAPTAIN HARPER: "You will also provide a written account of the incident and identify every instruction or piece of information you relied on when you approached Judge Caldwell."
BRADLEY: "Yes, Captain."
Josephine listened without interrupting.
She was relieved that the supervisor had taken the matter seriously, but she understood that an initial response was only the beginning.
A proper investigation would need to establish the timeline, review the footage, compare the witness accounts, and determine whether the officer's explanation was supported by evidence.
She did not want a rushed decision based on embarrassment or rank.
She wanted a reliable record.
JOSEPHINE: "Captain Harper, I would like to make one additional request."
CAPTAIN HARPER: "Of course, Your Honor."
JOSEPHINE: "Please ensure that the footage is preserved before anyone reviews or handles it in a way that could compromise the original recording."
CAPTAIN HARPER: "I'll arrange that with courthouse administration."
JOSEPHINE: "And please ensure that my own statement is recorded separately from the witnesses' statements."
CAPTAIN HARPER: "That can be arranged."
Josephine nodded.
JOSEPHINE: "Thank you."
Bradley looked at the floor.
He was beginning to understand that the situation would not disappear simply because he had apologized to the person he had struck.
The incident had been witnessed by several people. The hallway cameras might have captured the entire exchange. His own statements had already been recorded, and he had provided an explanation that would need to be checked.
More troubling still, the reason he had given for approaching Josephine was becoming increasingly difficult to defend.
He had claimed that he believed she was Maya Reynolds.
But he had not explained who had told him to look for Maya, whether anyone had supplied a physical description, or whether he had checked the relevant case information.
Captain Harper looked at him again.
CAPTAIN HARPER: "Officer Miller, I want you to tell me exactly what happened from the beginning. Start with the information you received before you entered this corridor."
Bradley took a breath.
BRADLEY: "Earlier this morning, I was informed that Maya Reynolds might be coming to the courthouse."
CAPTAIN HARPER: "Who informed you?"
BRADLEY: "I received a message through the security communication channel."
CAPTAIN HARPER: "From which employee?"
BRADLEY: "I don't remember the name."
CAPTAIN HARPER: "Do you remember the content of the message?"