10:00 - 10:05: I'm working on my computer and I begin to hear a loud voice outside in the street. At first I can only hear one voice, and it has that husky low quality of someone who is very drunk or someone who has a real mad on against the world and is convinced that everyone is against him. I can hear him shouting without being able to hear his words. I live immediately on the SW corner of a 4-way intersection, and I can tell from the volume that he is shouting from no more than 50 feet down one of the streets.
10:05 - 10:15: The shouting voice is going on at length and I can occasionally hear other quieter voices trying to calm him down. I can't hear their words, but their tones suggest that's what they're attempting to do. The loud voice that started it all keeps going on this whole time though. I begin to hear other voices shouting as well and suspect some neighbors have begun to contribute by telling them all to shut up. Mr Loud keeps right on going though.
10:15 - 10:20: I turn off the light in my living room and open my front door a crack. I've already thought about calling the police, but given my history with them, I don't feel comfortable doing so. Besides, with the neighbors pitching in, I'm fairly certain that one of them has already done so. I can't actually see anyone down the two street lengths visible from my door. Then, just as I'm opening the door wider to get a better look, I see a local deputy cruise up from the east. His spotlight comes on and sweeps the street and once past my door. At this point I close the door.
10:20 - 10:25: I hear a stern voice and the loud voice for no more than two minutes. Then I hear running feet and a loud pop— not gunshot loud, but champagne loud. I go to the door again and open it a crack. This time I can see the deputy's cruiser on the north-bound street, about 20 feet past the intersection, pointed north. Immediately in front of the cruiser I can see the feet of someone on the ground. The deputy is walking back and forth, watching the guy on the ground and also watching two other guys about 10 feet farther on. They are doubled over from their sprint but moving around a bit. From my door I can tell they are making the deputy nervous. Within 30 seconds or so, another figure comes walking back into the headlights, panting loudly. The deputy is shouting at the figure on the ground to stay down at first, then he changes it to a question, asking the figure if he's going to stay down. The figure on the ground, who is obviously the loud guy, begins to moan rather than answer. I hear at least one other guy at this point begin to exhort the horizontal figure to stay down or he'll get tasered again. I want to keep watching because I am nervous for the deputy. He is alone and has had to taser one guy already. Every time the deputy says anything, he seems to stumble over his words, as if he's not sure how to proceed. There are three other guys walking around over whom he has no control. I hear him tell the others to move to the side of the street where he can see them. At that point I hear another cruiser drive up so I close my door again.
10:25 - 10:45: Over the next few minutes I hear at least a third cruiser pull up, if not a fourth as well. I can no longer make out any distinct words, but I hear the loud moaning throughout. At some point I hear the heavy diesel engine of a fire truck pull up. The last time I hear the loud voice, it sounds like he says "Don't let them take me," but I can't be certain of that. A few minutes after he disappears, most of the cruisers leave, and it's quiet. Since there is no talking whatsoever, I'm assuming that all the other guys got taken in as well. I look out my door one last time and see the lights of a sole cruiser with no other activity. A few minutes later that car leaves as well.
Sometimes I really love my neighborhood...
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