The Dark Side – are you a COP???
Within the first week or two of the 42nd Game Warden Academy in October of 1990, one of our instructors asked the class, “OK, how many of you have shot a deer at night?” as he sheepishly raised his hand.
None of us took the bait, although there were certainly a few in the classroom that should have held up a hand.
The instructor’s point was that sometimes it takes an outlaw to catch an outlaw.
Indeed, sometimes there’s a thin line between that which is lawful and that which is unlawful. When it comes to covert units and undercover operatives, that little line can get real fuzzy, real quick.
You know, most cops don’t ever have to deal with a loaded shotgun pointed at their face as some dude accuses him or her of being a cop. Why? Well, for one thing, they are in uniform, and on that uniform, it clearly says in some form or another, “COP”.
Whatever verbiage is used, be it “Such-and-Such County Deputy”, “So-and-So Police Department”, “State Trooper”, “State Game Warden” or whatever, there’s usually a gun and a badge somewhere in the ensemble to further prove that the person wearing it is, indeed, a cop.
Oh, and also, pointing a gun a cop is a good way to get shot.
I can’t speak to how many sure-enough outlaws get accused of being cops, but I know a handful of undercover guys who say it happened to them all the time. I guess it makes sense when you job requires you to do your best to prove you’re a shady character wherever you are sent to work. People get suspicious of people like that, and rightly so.
In 1995 Game Wardens Bradley Smith and Sonny Seewald were working undercover to catch some East Texas boys who were illegally taking, and selling, white bass from Bedias Creek near its confluence with the Trinity River.
Bradley maintains there was something messed up about his introduction to the guy by a narc from another agency.
Turns out Bradley handled the introduction himself and didn’t need the narc, but the narc went ahead and went through the intro-rig-amaro anyway. Suspicious, for sure.
Well, he and Sonny went to this one ol’ boy’s house to make a buy but got more than they bargained for when they opened the door.
The buy-guy racked a sawed-off shotgun, pointed it at Bradley’s face and said, “YOU’RE a city POlice,” before moving the barrel and looking down it at Sonny’s face and saying, “And YOU’RE a deputy sheriff!”
Bradley and Sonny were alarmed to say the least, but without missing a beat, Sonny looked at the guy and insisted, “NO – HE is the Deputy Sheriff, and I’M the city PO-lice!”
Bradley feigned offense to what Sonny said, saying, “NO – YOU are the deputy sheriff…”, and so on. It was like a Looney Tunes cartoon, only the dude had a REAL shotgun.
Soon they completely ignored the shotgun and escalated the argument between themselves while the shotgun-guy looked on incredulously.
“Are you guys brothers?” heasked while lowering the shotgun a little.
This started a whole new argument in which Bradley and Sonny disparaged each other’s heritage to prove, in no uncertain terms, that they were not related.
Thinking they were way too crazy to be cops, the guy set the shotgun down, and later, sold them some fish.
This was all part of a big investigation that resulted in many cases being filed, and it’s an illustration of the kind of attention to detail needed, even in moments of stress, that one needs in order to thrive and survive on the dark side.
On a lighter note, dove season of one type or another starts September 1. Hunting licenses are available now, and you can download the TPWD Outdoor Annual to your phone from the website.
As always if you have questions, you can find game wardens by county on the website as well. Know before you go, and remember boys and girls; steer clear of the dark side.
