The chief emerged.
The officers surrounded the sergeant.
And the man's entire expression collapsed when he learned the identity of the person he'd assaulted.
But the commissioner wasn't watching the sergeant's fear.
He was watching the chief.
Because the chief's reaction suggested something deeply wrong.
He looked horrified that the commissioner had been struck.
Yet he didn't appear nearly as surprised as he should have been by the sergeant's behavior.
The chief approached slowly.
“Commissioner, are you injured?”
The commissioner touched his cheek.
“It hurts.”
The chief looked toward the sergeant.
His jaw tightened.
“Sir, I apologize—”
“Don't apologize before you know what happened.”
The chief stopped.
The commissioner continued.
“I want the facts preserved. That matters more than a speech.”
The chief nodded.
“Yes, sir.”
One of the federal investigators stepped forward.
She was a woman in her early forties wearing a dark suit and a small identification badge at her belt.
She had been invited to headquarters as part of a prearranged federal consultation concerning records already under review.
She glanced toward the sergeant.
Then addressed the commissioner.
“Do you want medical attention?”
“An assessment and photographs of the injury would be appropriate.”
She nodded.
The commissioner turned toward the chief.
“Who's responsible for the security cameras?”
The chief looked toward a uniformed captain.
“Get the recordings preserved.”
The captain immediately reached for his radio.
The commissioner continued.
“And his body camera.”
The sergeant spoke quickly.
“It malfunctioned.”
Everyone turned toward him.
The commissioner studied his face.
“Did it?”
“Yes, sir.”
The officer swallowed.
“Battery issue.”
The federal investigator looked toward the device.
“Did you report the malfunction?”
The sergeant hesitated.
“I was going to.”
The commissioner glanced toward the chief.
“Preserve the device in its current condition. An authorized technician can examine it.”
The chief nodded.
The sergeant suddenly spoke louder.
“Chief, with respect, I didn't know who he was.”
The commissioner turned toward him.
The plaza became silent.
Then he asked a question.
“Would the slap have been appropriate if I were somebody else?”
The sergeant opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Then looked toward the chief.
The commissioner waited.
No one answered.
Finally, he spoke.
“That's the problem we're going to address.”
He looked toward the uniformed captain.
“Please arrange for the sergeant to be relieved from duty pending the appropriate investigation. Preserve his equipment and departmental communications according to procedure.”
The captain nodded.
The commissioner continued.