He looked toward Cole.
Then Foster.
Then me.
His eyes widened.
“Chief Brooks?”
I nodded.
“Lieutenant.”
He glanced at my wet clothing.
Then toward the hose lying across the grass.
For a moment, he seemed unable to reconcile the scene.
“Are you injured?”
“I don't believe so.”
“Do you need medical assistance?”
I considered that.
My eyes were still irritated, and the pressure of the water had left my face uncomfortable. I wanted nothing more than to shower, change clothes, and pretend the afternoon hadn't happened.
But I also knew the importance of documenting injuries accurately.
“I'd like to have my eyes checked and have the incident recorded properly.”
Moreno nodded immediately.
“Of course.”
Cole stepped forward.
“Lieutenant, this was a misunderstanding.”
Moreno turned toward him.
“Officer, I haven't asked you for your explanation yet.”
Cole stopped.
Foster stood near the patrol car, looking miserable.
Moreno returned his attention to me.
“Chief, what would you like me to do?”
The question was understandable.
I was his new commanding officer.
He knew that the department's leadership structure placed him beneath me.
But I was also the person who had just been subjected to potentially unlawful conduct by one of his officers.
Those roles created a conflict.
And I knew exactly how dangerous it would be to blur them.
I took a breath.
“Lieutenant, I'm not going to direct the investigation into an incident in which I'm the complainant.”
He nodded slowly.
I continued.
“I need you to notify Assistant Chief Ortiz, preserve the evidence, ensure the involved officers are separated, and request an independent review through the appropriate external agency.”
Moreno looked relieved.
“Understood.”
“Please don't ask anyone to give me special treatment because of my position. The facts should be handled the way we'd be expected to handle them for any resident.”
He nodded.
“Yes, Chief.”
Then I looked toward Cole.
He was staring at the ground.
I wanted to demand an explanation.
Wanted to ask him why he'd laughed while spraying water into my face.
Wanted to know whether he'd done the same thing to anyone else.
But asking those questions personally at the scene could create problems for the independent investigation.