Four: Another Attempt to Feel no Fear
Southwest Minneapolis Nature Preserve
Hard rain collects and makes pursuit difficult.
Officer Jim Steves is making his way through unkempt trees and brush to answer a call about a scream just outside the hedges. The October cold chills him through his uniform. He is not happy with this call and is trying hard to not let his attitude turn negative.
A few more feet and he sees the reason for the call.
A woman not dressed for the weather lies unconscious in the leaf litter, blood draining from her wrists. He moves her long drenched hair from her face to identify her, and then stands to talk to his radio.
“I need an ambulance. We’ve got someone. It appears to be a suicide attempt.”
“The ambulance is already dispatched,” a female voice blares over the radio, “Should be arriving shortly.”
“10-4” he says as he shines his flashlight around.
About 5 feet away he sees a crudely modified kitchen chair. Above the back are two wooden extensions. A chain holds a makeshift guillotine blade. The blade looks like a thick machete dangling over the arms of the chair. The large blade has blood across it and Jim grabs his radio again.
“It may not be a suicide,” he transmits over the radio, “I see something weird. Just to be safe, can we get another officer out here?”
“10-4” the radio responds, “Getting a new squad out there.”
He turns back to the spot the woman was laying and she is gone.
In a panic he scrambles to catch sight.
Finally, he spots her running deeper into the brush. Immediately, he starts running her direction.
“Julie!” he yells, “help is on the way! Come back and we’ll get you all fixed up! I won’t be bad I promise!”
Julie takes one last look back and trips. Her blood-drenched hands and slit wrists are useless for holding her up so she falls face first into the mud. Jim reaches her before she escapes again. He wraps his arms around her and picks her up.
“Julie, we’re going to get you the help you need.” He says with heavy breath as he maneuvers her.
As soon as he turns around he sees the bright red lights of the ambulance. Two younger men come running out and Jim breathes a sigh of relief. Instead of moving the girl, he now just tries to comfort her until the EMT’s secure her.
One man brings a gurney, and the other holds a large bag of medical equipment. Jim helps them put Julie on the gurney. She fights a little, but the blood loss has weakened her.
Within seconds they have lifted the woman from the ground and are slowly moving towards the ambulance. The rain impedes their progress but they make it. Before they leave one of the men turns towards Jim.
“What do you know about her?”
“Her name is Julie; she just turned 28 years old. She lives in an apartment only a few blocks from here. She has some type of dissociative disorder. She was recently released from a group home. She’s been in the state ward more times than I could even count. I originally thought it was suicide, but now not so sure. I would get what you can from her, but take her reluctance with a grain of salt. This isn’t her first rodeo. I was only on scene for a little bit, but I’ll let you know what I learn.” Jim pauses, “You bringing her to Century?”
The
man nods. Jim shakes his hand and heads back into the woods to make sense of
the contraption with a blade.
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