There's really no feeling quite like the feeling that you get when you see a gun pointed at you. Especially when it's being held by someone who has already shot at another deputy. Luckily I didn't get shot, and the other deputy escaped with just a few cuts from broken glass (though one of the bullets missed his head by only a couple of inches.)

Basically it all began as a report of shoplifting. Three subjects in a black mustang had shoplifted some items from a local drugstore, and they also matched the description of some subjects who had also stolen about $1400 worth of cigarettes from a convenience store. One of our deputies spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it, and when they refused to stop, a pursuit ensued. Eventually the fleeing vehicle crashed (while trying to go through a fence to get onto the interstate) and when the subjects bailed out, one of them fired several shots at the deputy, and then all three fled on foot. Two of the subjects fled into a residential area, and, pursued by deputies, fled into a house and then announced that they had hostages and would shoot them if police attempted to enter. After about an hour and a half of negotiations, it was determined that there were no hostages, and the subjects finally gave themselves up.

The above information is pretty much what was in the news, so I don't feel that I'm being indiscreet by sharing it. There's a lot of stuff that happened that night that I can't talk about just yet. But I will say that I and another deputy who--by a fluke--happened to be in the car with me (I was giving him a ride to the office; we don't usually ride with partners) were the ones to find the subjects when they came out of the woods. I had a gun pointed at me (by someone who we knew was more than willing to use it, since he'd already shot at another cop!) got into a foot pursuit, did lots of yelling and shouting, then heard the bad guys shouting through the door that they had hostages, at which time we pulled back and set up a perimeter and waited for the swat team and negotiators.

Afterwards, the other deputy and I couldn't figure out why we hadn't been shot at. Later we decided (from other evidence that was found in the house) that he had tried, but that the gun had either jammed or had been empty. I had the heebie-jeebies for a few hours afterwards, and even broke down and had a couple of honest-to-god candy bars. Chocolate as a comfort.[grin]

This really is the coolest job in the world. ;-)