For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then the instructor thanked him.
The lesson was uncomfortable.
But it was more valuable because Reeves wasn't pretending he'd done everything right.
Reeves later requested a meeting with Naomi through the appropriate process.
He didn't ask for the investigation to be reopened.
He didn't seek favorable treatment.
He wanted to apologize.
Naomi agreed after confirming the meeting wouldn't interfere with any pending proceedings.
They sat in a small conference room with a department representative present.
Reeves looked nervous.
For several seconds, he held his hands together.
Then spoke.
"Chief, I'm sorry."
Naomi nodded.
He continued.
"I saw that something was wrong, and I didn't do enough."
For a moment, his voice caught.
"I kept thinking the sergeant knew more than I did."
Naomi listened.
Then asked him a question.
"What do you think you should have done?"
Reeves took a slow breath.
"I should've stated clearly that we needed to stop using force and verify your identity. And I should've followed the duty-to-intervene policy when he ignored the concern."
Naomi nodded.
"Yes."
The younger officer looked down.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Naomi continued.
"I appreciate that you're taking responsibility."
Reeves looked up.
She held his gaze.
"But you need to understand something. The most important person you owe that responsibility to is the next resident you encounter."
He swallowed.
"Yes, ma'am."
Naomi leaned forward slightly.
"You may never work another incident involving a police chief. You will work thousands involving ordinary people. They deserve the same attention to facts."
Reeves nodded.
His eyes filled.
"I understand."
Naomi hoped he did.
But she knew understanding would be measured by future conduct, not the sincerity of one apology.
The department's reforms began with an uncomfortable admission.
The procedures already required officers to use judgment, verify information when reasonably possible, and avoid unnecessary force. But written policies hadn't prevented Grant from doing the opposite, and several supervisors had failed to recognize the warning signs.
Naomi didn't want to respond by adding another hundred pages of regulations nobody would remember during a stressful encounter.
She wanted the department to practice making better decisions.
The training division developed realistic exercises in which officers responded to residential alarms, suspicious-person reports, and disputed identity claims.
The scenarios included confusing information.
An alarm might activate even though the homeowner was authorized to enter.
A neighbor might provide an unreliable description.
A person might be frightened, slow to answer, or unfamiliar with the questions being asked.
Officers had to distinguish uncertainty from evidence of wrongdoing.
They also had to reassess their assumptions when new information appeared.
A driver's license.
A confirmed address.