She wished she could tell the story in a way that would make the fear seem unnecessary. She had made the right choices as far as she could judge them, had kept her movements visible, had asked questions without threatening anyone, and had tried to avoid escalating the exchange. None of those choices had guaranteed her safety. She understood, with a clarity she had not wanted, why people who experienced a stop like hers sometimes struggled to drive the same road afterward. The injury was not confined to the place where the seat belt had tightened.
At the Hoke County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Dale Prescott spent that Saturday afternoon trying to determine whether he had a collision problem, a criminal investigation, or the beginning of something that could threaten his administration. He had been elected on promises of responsible spending and strong law enforcement, and he liked to believe the department operated efficiently. The duty lieutenant had forwarded Foster's call log, a preliminary crash notice from State Highway Patrol, and a brief message indicating that the injured driver was a senior military officer. The words deliberate impact appeared in one witness summary, and Prescott read them twice.
Sergeant Greer arrived at headquarters with the stiff impatience of a man being interrupted on his day off. He told Prescott that Briscoe was an experienced deputy, that some motorists exaggerated confrontations, and that an investigation would probably reveal a split-second driving decision. When Prescott asked about the previous complaints, Greer said they had all been reviewed. He did not volunteer that most of the reviews had consisted of asking Briscoe whether he denied the allegation and then accepting his denial. Prescott had signed the quarterly summaries without asking for the individual files.
"How many complaints?" Prescott asked.
Greer shifted in his chair. "Nine in ten years, Sheriff. That's not unusual for a proactive deputy."
"How many complaints about discriminatory stops?"
"People describe things differently when they're upset."
"I asked for a number."
Greer hesitated. "Six involve that kind of allegation."
Prescott stared at him. The answer changed the weight of everything lying on his desk. Six allegations did not prove six violations, but they created a pattern that a competent supervisor should have examined. For years Prescott had treated the absence of sustained complaints as a sign that his department was functioning well. Now he had to consider whether it was merely a sign that his department was good at refusing to hear them.
Briscoe was told not to report for patrol duty while the collision and use-of-force allegations were assessed. His vehicle was secured for examination, and his access to the relevant recordings was restricted. He objected immediately. He said Foster had betrayed him, the witnesses were trying to make him look bad, and the Army was using its influence to intimidate the county. Prescott told him that none of those complaints explained why his cruiser had struck a stationary Volvo.
"I was stopping her from leaving," Briscoe said.
"Was she moving?" Prescott asked.
"She was about to."
"What evidence do you have of that?"
Briscoe looked away. He had never been asked that question so directly by someone whose answer mattered to his paycheck. Greer had usually supplied the explanation for him. This time Greer sat silently at the end of the table, a man discovering that the shortcuts he had tolerated were about to become evidence of his own choices. Briscoe said the dash camera would show what happened, and Prescott replied that investigators would indeed examine it.