Bellamy said they should wrap it up. Grayson began walking toward his cruiser, avoiding the neighbors' eyes. Puren remained near the sidewalk, looking back at Francis with an expression that held more than embarrassment. Mason muttered something about an unfortunate escalation and waved his colleagues away. Francis waited until the taser was secured and the officers had moved back before returning the badge case to his pocket. Regina approached immediately and gripped his arm with both hands.
She did not ask whether he was okay. The answer would have been complicated, and she could see enough in his face to know it. Instead, she rested her forehead briefly against his shoulder while her phone continued recording the street. He put an arm around her. She was trembling, but her grip remained firm. Francis looked past her at the neighbors who had witnessed everything and wondered how many had believed him dangerous until the moment his badge appeared.
A fifth police vehicle arrived a few minutes later, this time without emergency lights. Captain Aaron Vanji stepped out in a crisp uniform, carrying herself with the practiced control of someone accustomed to arriving after a problem had already become public. She had heard the dispatch exchange and apparently learned that a federal agent had been threatened with a taser in his driveway. She approached Francis directly.
"Agent Willard, I'm Captain Vanji. I'm sorry this happened. It is not how our officers are expected to conduct themselves."
Francis shook her hand without smiling. "Four officers surrounded me in my driveway. Officer Mason pointed a taser at my chest. He told me he was teaching me respect for an argument three weeks ago." Vanji listened, her expression growing tight.
"I understand how serious those allegations are." Francis nodded toward Regina's phone. "They're not only allegations. We have recordings and witnesses." The captain looked briefly toward the sidewalk, where several neighbors still held their phones.
"We'll review everything," she promised. "By the book." Francis had heard that expression many times during his career. It sometimes meant careful and impartial work. Sometimes it meant that somebody would use procedure to delay a decision until public attention had faded.
He did not yet know which meaning applied here. "I'd like the complaint process in writing," he said. "I'd like the complete incident report preserved, including the initial call and the dispatch audio. And I want the officers' statements taken before anyone has time to coordinate them."
Vanji hesitated almost imperceptibly at the last request. Then she nodded. "I will make sure the incident is referred for review." Francis held her gaze. "I need more than an assurance that somebody will look into it."
The captain exhaled. "You will receive a documented response, Agent Willard. You have my word." She moved away to speak with Mason, and Francis watched the two of them from his driveway while Regina stood close beside him.