“Please stop damaging the car.”
The sergeant turned.
“Then tell us where you're hiding the evidence!”
The words came out loudly.
Too loudly.
A woman on the sidewalk raised her phone.
The older officer looked sharply toward the sergeant.
“Easy.”
But the man was no longer listening.
He stepped toward the CEO.
Then caught her shoulder through the white cape.
“Move back!”
The shove was forceful.
Her heel scraped against the pavement.
She stumbled half a step.
The officer released her.
The CEO remained upright.
She looked at him.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then she slowly adjusted the cape.
“Did you just shove me?”
The sergeant stared.
“Stay where I put you.”
She took a measured breath.
Then glanced toward the youngest officer.
He had stopped searching.
The CEO noticed the fear on his face.
Not fear of her.
Fear of his supervisor.
She turned back toward the sergeant.
“Your officers deserve to know what you're making them do.”
His expression changed.
“Shut up.”
She looked toward the camera mounted on the police cruiser's windshield.
Then toward the vehicle's exterior security camera.
The sergeant followed her gaze.
For an instant, he appeared uncertain.
The CEO carefully removed her phone.
A secure-session notification remained on the screen.
She touched it.
Then looked directly at him.
“Too late.”
The sergeant frowned.
“What?”
“Internal Affairs has been watching.”
He gave a short laugh.
“Nice try.”
Then the first black SUV appeared behind the cruiser.
The second followed immediately.
The vehicles stopped.
Their doors opened.
And the sergeant's laughter disappeared.
The lead Internal Affairs investigator stepped onto the pavement.
She held an identification folder where the officers could see it.
“INTERNAL AFFAIRS! STEP AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE!”
The youngest officer jerked backward from the passenger compartment.
The veteran looked toward the approaching team.
The sergeant took one step toward the investigator.
“Ma'am, we're conducting a lawful search.”
She stopped several feet away.
“Keep your hands visible.”
The sergeant froze.
Two senior uniformed officers positioned themselves nearby.
The other investigators moved to preserve the scene and maintain safe separation between the involved officers.
There was no chaotic struggle.
No dramatic tackling.
No weapons drawn.
The officers were being directed to stop their activities while the investigators established control of the scene.
The lead investigator turned toward the CEO.
“Are you injured?”
The woman looked toward her shoulder.
“My shoulder hurts. I wasn't seriously injured as far as I can tell.”
The investigator nodded.