In My Lifetime
Early life and career of Police Captain Herbert Smith
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
THE KARATE EXPERT
I was working the Evening Shift as Patrol Sergeant. It was nearly time for the shift to change. Shift change was at 10:00 PM and this was about 9:00 PM.
I was proceeding north on Shaver, just south of Eagle Street. At the time Shaver Street was two-way. I observed this individual of small stature staggering along the sidewalk in front of Pasadena High School. He had what appeared to be a whiskey bottle in his back pocket.
I pulled over near the intersection of Shaver and Eagle and got out of my unit. I approached the fellow as he came staggering down the sidewalk. He asked what I wanted and I told him it appeared to me as if he’d had too much to drink. He asked what I was going to do and I said I am going to take you to jail.
All of a sudden the went into this crouch with both hands extended, making chopping motions. Now, I was about six foot two inches, with my full uniform on, including my head cover. With my head cover I probably was about six foot four inches tall. This fellow was about five feet six or seven inches tall. In a crouch, he was much shorter.
He said I was not taking him anywhere, that he was a karate expert.
I tried to talk to him, but he was having none of it and kept backing up making chopping motions with his hands. I realized we must look ridiculous because of the difference in our posture, the big tall cop and the little fellow confronting him.
About that time a car came to a screeching halt nearby and a woman exited the car and began yelling, wanting to know what was going on. This distracted me for an instant as I told her to get back in her car and leave; it was police business, which she did.
The karate guy took this opportunity to take to his heels and flee.. He ran west through the high school parking lot. I was not about to give chase. Maybe I did not want to get my nice clean uniform dirty. I returned to my unit and alerted the district unit to be on the lookout for the man.
I went on to the station to prepare for the shift change.
A citizen came in to the lobby of the police station and reported what looked to him like a dead body lying alongside Shaw Street about three blocks from the police station. The district unit was dispatched and I thought I would slide on down there to see what was going on.
When I arrived on the scene, I immediately recognized the “karate expert.” I told the officers he was the man who had run from me and that he was just drunk.
The officers grabbed him and began to drag him to one of the police units. He was dead weight. He was as limp as a rag doll, but when they got near the door of the unit he began to resist. They would back off and he would go limp again. Officer J. B. Kelly arrived on the scene and began to assist. The guy was limp. Officer Kelly poked his finger somewhere behind the suspect’s ear and apparently applied pressure to a sensitive nerve. The guy screamed and went berserk. Now the fight was on. I did not see him doing any karate chops during this struggle. The officers got him down on the concrete in the middle of the street, trying to get the cuffs on him. He was still resisting violently.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Herbert Smith, a six-foot, two-inch, 180 pound blue-eyed “hunk”, arrived at the small Pasadena Police Department at the age of 26. Married Nettie Grace, a beautiful young lady, and the parents of their first child, a boy, they were the envy of the older officers already employed there.
He exploded on the scene with a perfect score on his Civil Service Test and proved his proficiency with his sidearm by becoming one of the top shooters in his academy.
Working the streets on patrol, Herbert was always on the cutting edge of the action. On more than one occasion he confronted, disarmed and arrested dangerous felons who were threats to himself, the citizens and his fellow officers.
His 28 year career saw him advance through the ranks to Captain of Police. He graduated from the Institute of Applied Science, studying criminal identification methods.
As a captain he graduated from the FBI National Academy, the 93rd Session. Herbert was a sidearm competitor, participating in many Police pistol matches, including the National Police Pistol Matches. As an honorable retired police officer, Herbert qualifies annually to carry a concealed handgun. Herbert is very active in his church and serves as a Deacon.
About the Author
Herbert Smith, retired Captain of Police, Pasadena, Texas Police Department, served there 28 years.
Smith, a graduate of the Institute of Applied Science and the FBI National Academy, was Patrol Sergeant, Patrol Commander, Detective, Superintendent of Identification, Crime Scene Photographer, Latent Print Examiner, and Fingerprint Classifier. Herbert and Nettie live in Pasadena, Texas.