Ride Along | Criminal Podcast | Forensic Files

well um it's 7 54 a.m I am standing outside of the Jamie padron police substation in North
Austin um I got here at 6 30 but as I was told to I got here at 6 30 the Uber dropped me off it was um dark
and I called the sergeant and then the deputy Sergeant as I was told to do and they didn't answer so I found a police
officer who seemed to be testing his taser on the top of his cop car and I asked if he knew where I went to go on a
ride along and he took me inside and he said wait right here and then at 7 30 I started looking in any little window I
could find in the abandoned police station waiting room and then at 7 40 I decided I'd go
outside um which means now I've been locked out of the police station and uh there are no cop cars here so
uh and now I'm just standing outside of the police station well I'm in here now someone came and got me they thought I
was a Citizen Police Academy member and so they said I got lost in the shuffle and I'm in an Evidence room it looks
like an Evidence to detail the room I said I was with the media and the sergeant Deputy surgeon said no one
ever told her someone was coming from the media today and uh so I'm just [Music]
[Applause] I'm just looking at all these different types of evidence bags [Music]
for years I've wanted more than anything to ride along with a police officer just
to see everything that happens what the job is actually like I'm very interested
in work what people do every day in their jobs and so I was so happy to finally be at a police station in Austin
Texas they told me I could see everything that happened in that car during an entire shift 6 30 a.m to 4 30
p.m Patrol Sergeant came and got me introduced me to officer Edward Roth and we started our day
I'm Phoebe judge this is Criminal [Music] do you think that many police officers
are wary of speaking with reporters and press [Laughter] I mean I wouldn't do it if I wasn't a
police officer I wouldn't I mean it's just something I would not seek after to to to want to be on some kind
of uh media format I think that's just based on the individual there's some guys that love
uh social media and talking and all that kind of stuff I'm a quiet guy I don't really like I don't really you know I
don't really do all that and here I am here I'm in this car with you this big microphone don't get me
wrong I'm sociable you know I don't mind conversating with anybody but um it's just
it can be a very uncomfortable feeling uh with a microphone you don't want to be misunderstood and
all that kind of stuff so do you ever talk to the to to try to reassure someone who you have in the
back of the car you fed to arrest or do you not really talk I I tend to talk to him
because I'm uh uh you know because I'm black and unfortunately so many people that we arrest are black
um I can and I'm older so I have a tendency of talking to him and it a lot of times it brings them
down they calm down they don't they're not as scared scared and and prone to anger and violence uh when they see
somebody that's talking to them in a uh in a manner which is very conversational
I say hey man you know just relax everything's cool you know I'll let you get a phone call
when you get to the you know all that kind of stuff and just trying to reassure him that listen this is nothing
personal he don't want to go to jail of course but it's nothing personal and you
know got to do what we got to do officer Ruff has been with the Austin Police Department for 10 years he joined the
Department after retiring from the Army where he served for 24 years he's not from Texas but Beloit Wisconsin
he moved down when he was stationed at Fort Hood he patrols an area in North Austin and
while the computer in his patrol car had a virtual map showing him exactly where
to go he didn't look at it much he knew his way around I'm 10-8 and now 75. instead and assigned
all right so we're getting ready to go to a call what is the campaign office the campaign
office there's a threatening note a pig's head at the Beto O'Rourke office yeah let's jump on that
on our way to the campaign office of Democratic Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke he's running against the
incumbent Republican former presidential candidate Ted Cruz there's a person seen
advised FBI was out earlier this morning for other threats wow let's check it out
this is a controversial Senate race that you know Cruz and Beto O'Rourke yes yes
I um I'm not a big politician guy so I don't really follow that too you know obviously he's had a lot of commercials
out uh campaigning for the his election so I know there's something going on but uh
oh it's interesting we'll have to check that out ready yep severed Pig's head I think originally it
was on there were already two officers in front of the office we met with a staffer out front
the pig's head was found on a stake in front of the office with a note that read down with imperialist pigs
elections no Revolution yes I guess you could probably best describe them as a bystanders honestly no one working there
seemed too concerned one high-level staffer just continued talking on his phone when an officer went over to get
his attention he put his finger up just one minute please the officers made notes the pig's head
was cleaned up and we got back in the car don't ever don't say it's don't ever say
it's slow right now because if you say it then you're jinxing yourself and it's gonna get it's gonna blow up and
everything is gonna you know um but for the most part I'm saying it because it's almost 11 o'clock people gonna
start waking up all that kind of stuff so that's that's why I'm saying it are you a superstitious cop no
I've never really been to person not me you I think I'd like to be more superstitious than I am I think I think
it's kind of well I don't know I think it's kind of fun to have I think I'm too practical to be I think
that's our Midwest you know whatever you know we'll deal with it new waiting incident
it was now 11 31. we were headed to a probation office to pick up someone who had violated their parole
Okay so she just put out over the radio that uh that the guy that we're gonna pick up is
supposed to be armed and dangerous uh that's one of the cautions he has on his uh his history
so we take that in account um when we have to when we have to approach him and things like that
[Music] I'm clear I'm just got the light I'm heading uh Northbound on camera for 183.
something so um did you hear that over the radio no he's waiting for you he's gonna wait for me
till I get there apparently this guy is um a little upset [Music] already so we want to go in there
together and um and deal with this as opposed to him just going in there by itself
for taking him to jail because he's going to be taking a job I'm not going to take him but
but that's what's going to happen well I don't know if he knows that or that is what is that's what's going to happen
that's definitely what's going to happen I guess I'd be upset too I would too yeah
[Music] probably coming she's with us and uh you ready to go ahead she's bringing him in not to see
us and they're gonna be in a room and we'll go get him she's going to bring him in here in another room and we'll go
in the room and just scoot them up on my gosh that's the best way to do it yeah just go behind him okay let's go each
grab an arm and just yeah so I'll bring her arrest all right stand up the man didn't put up any fight he
looked tired he was a tiny skinny man maybe in his 60s with a baseball hat on he was put into the other officer's car
they checked to make sure his handcuffs didn't hurt him he asked us to tell his friend waiting
for him in the parking lot that he wouldn't need a ride home next at 12 17 someone called about a
naked man who was yelling typically when somebody when somebody takes off their clothes
that could indicate that somebody is uh uh on PCP president has been updated because our body gets hot and they they
tend to strip off their clothes and it's a very uh that's a very serious situation because
[Music] people on PCP tend to are they don't feel a lot of pain so and they're incoherent they don't understand
directions and stuff like that so it'll be interesting how this is your incident has been updated
and that's where we're on our way now what have you learned what is happening so far on this call yeah that
[Music] loud yelling and background subject is a blackmail complain to have an issue speaking
has been updated all right they said the subject left on foot walking towards St
John's looks like they are coming this way so we eventually found the man who had his
clothes back on now walking down an alley officer Ruff and another patrol car stopped him kind of trapping him in
a v-shape with the two cars the man sat down on the curb he seemed completely out of it but kept refusing help
he was able to name the city we were in and the date EMS showed up but he refused any help so there wasn't much
more to do he hadn't committed any crime he was not in any apparent medical Danger
they're taking care of that we got an animal service call to see dog run around and cigarettes were trying to
buy a small brown dog has not actually bitten anyone yet complaining doesn't need contact
all right that is a all right we'll take care of that one now what is this someone had called 9-1-1 to complain
that a loose Chihuahua was running after people and trying to bite them okay so now we're going to find the dog we're
going to find a dog so well no one could ever say it's a boring day that's what I'm saying so you know
every day is different you know some calls a little bit more uh the level of stress or not I shouldn't
stress but concerned it's more than that you're some of your typical calls so we are 3405.
so this is the area where that dog was seen it's supposed to be a little brown dog
and the person that caught it I think came from 3405 and it was 3404. you seen the dog
that way what kind of dog man what kind of dog what kind of dog it's a small little
Chihuahua he's laying down over there he's laying down huh he's laying down yeah they used to belong to the
neighbors that lived over here but they left and they left them there and we feed them and well he let you put a
leash on him yeah I'm gonna give you a leash and then you do it for me because he's not used to me all right go ahead
1074 the ultra three player in turn to the Vietnam Chihuahua doesn't seem that scary
I'm the worst one sometimes this one seems pretty calm oh yeah so what I'm going to do is I'm gonna
code for which lets everybody know I'm good um so if you can push that green button for
me this one yep there you go and then I'm gonna call Animal Control to come out to our location and then
we'll come pick up the dog officer Ruff put the Chihuahua in the back seat and we waited for animal
control it took 30 minutes once you're assigned to a call you have to stay no matter how long it takes
I mean I guess there's no way you'd respond to another incident right now with a dog
out of commission pure start uh animal control so this is where it's a bunch of hurry
up and wait we sat there and talked about Wisconsin where his family still lives and his
children they kept texting throughout the day group chats about dinner tonight and job
applications and football games he didn't answer most of them but I would see them come in while he was
typing on his computer or on the radio by this point it was one o'clock and I was starving but I certainly wasn't
going to say anything finally an animal control officer showed up here Bubba grow up man
come here little one you want to pick him up and we'll scan around his body the Animal control officer was trying to
figure out if the dog was microchipped when the dog snaps big dog no not after I said that just
confirmed all my thoughts about wow that was a quick little woof I don't know if
I'm with a dog anymore thank you boy he scared the [ __ ] out of me yeah [Music]
14 year old female is conscious and breathing 14. yeah we're gonna go to that so what's going on here
here so let's clear this call so you just know that there's a fourteen-year-olds who took pills yeah
[Applause] [Music] her incident has been updated why wouldn't they stop yeah that's a good question
we weren't far from the middle school and for the first time all day officer Ruff put on his lights and sirens
I'd always thought that when an officer is responding to any call they have their lights on that's not the case
it's actually a very strict procedure for when you use lights when you use sirens
you can get in a lot of trouble for using them when you're not supposed to we were the first to show up
we parked in front of the main entrance a hundred kids were playing out in the yard soccer running around I sit in the
car for this one 35 minutes later officer Ruff came back out he said the girl was gonna be okay she'd
taken too many Tylenol but he didn't think it was a suicide attempt her mother had arrived and would take her to
the doctor a lot of calls were starting to pile up that needed attention officer Ruff
checked them on his computer in his car it seemed like they were all priorities where are we headed now we are headed to
that trespass urgent at the Hampton Inn it's a hotel located uh not too far from here what
does that mean trespass urgent trespass urgent is when a subject male or female is at a facility and they want them to
leave and they refuse to leave [Music] do you think that people are scared of you of police officers
um scared I think some some [Music] I think some are um I don't think scared in the sense of you
know fear [Music] like a you know like a monster or anything like that but more there's a a natural fear like you know
what did I do wrong and am I going to go to jail um and of course what's been going on in
throughout the country with the shootings and stuff like that you know a lot of a lot of mothers and fathers are
concerned about their their kids so they're kind of hyper Vigilant about that and
so there's yeah I think there's a segment of society that probably is probably scared
of you know what could happen under certain situations but how has that impacted you uh as a police officer just
in your day-to-day life um well I'm a father and uh I have kids and um you know I try to teach them
what to do when encountered by a police officer so that you know so there's a you know I think
any parent um I'm not fearful of course but you know there's a there's a concern that
when you have a your child is pulled over and [Music] I just teach them that what to do
to make sure that the turnout is safe not even as a police officer yourself yeah oh yeah you know I'll say you know
when when you when you get stopped you know keep your hands where they can see them you know make it where
um the the encounter is not one where somebody is nervous because you're doing a bunch
of you know reaching around and stuff like that just wait until the officer tells you to do something and then
do do exactly what the officer tells you are you worried about are you are you worried about it
do I worry about my own personal kids yeah yeah um I don't I don't worry about it but
um I uh you know I address it so no I don't worry about it I feel pretty pretty secure that uh
if they're encountered by the police they know what to do a few cop cars is not what I want to see
when I'm checking into my hotel with my family I would agree with that can I bring this
yes hello hi I'll be right with you okay when we got to the Hampton Inn for the trespass urgent call the woman at the
front desk asked us to wait a minute while she finished helping someone with a question about the coffee maker in his
room all day I was surprised how nonchalant so many people were about the police
the hotel manager came out and told us that a homeless man was camping under the hotel sign
he said the man had been there for a while that it wasn't his first time and he wanted him to move on
I messed up my [Music] mind because this particular man had been formally warned about trespassing
on this property before he was going to be arrested so now this guy's on top of the front of
the hood of the car being searched [Music] and before he goes to jail he doesn't look very good
it looks really weak and checking all of his pockets now he has six dollars no he's getting in the car
[Music] it was the first all day that someone had been in the back seat of the car
[Music] where do we go now now we go to the county jail which is downtown 3 15. so you're at this point you know
you'll work later then yes it just comes with the job item 101. new waiting incident
95 Criminal Trespass and I'm about to Travis County and uh confirm with the warrants
new message [Music] is there so all people who've been arrested go to the county jail
Travis County Jail I wasn't allowed to record or even bring my phone in officer Ruff even had to leave his phone
and his gun and pepper spray in the car before he brought the man in you enter into a big open room there
were no jail bars and after the man had been searched and put into a jail uniform officer Ruff took him back to
the nurses station I was left to watch what was going on all around me most of the people there seemed quiet
they would be called one by one to have their photo taken and be fingerprinted there is a pay phone in the middle of
the room it was cold and a lot of people pulled their arms inside their uniforms to stay
warm a woman was brought in she was yelling I wasn't sure if she was drunk she kept saying it was all a conspiracy
they kept her in handcuffs finally officer Ruff emerged with a man he put his street clothes back on
I didn't know what was going on or why the guy wasn't in his uniform anymore officer Ruff motioned to me that it was
time to go what happened he um when he was assessed by the nurse he had some lung problems and so
if the nurse feels that it's more than they can handle at the jail then we'll send it we'll send him to the
hospital let them check them out and then he can come back after he's been seen by the
the hospital so what does that mean for you that means um the times but the time that would have
been spent here booking and the rest review will be extended out because now I have to transport him to
the hospital from the weight while he's being seen and then transport him back to the to the jail to get rebooked seen
by the nurse again and then go to arrest review and all that so it it it prolongs the
time that uh this is going to take so I couldn't bring my microphone into the hospital either
we parked in the ambulance Bay and walked through the emergency room the man's handcuffs were back on
his nose was running but he couldn't wipe it because of the handcuffs officer Ruff helped him take his shirt
off and put on the hospital gown and then the three of us waited for the doctor at 7 pm I left
I had to go back to North Carolina I asked officer Ruff how long he'd stay and he said he didn't know as long as it
took a lot of his work is waiting and he's good at it he's patient in my 10 hours with him we met a dozen
people and most of these people are not the ones you would see on the show Cops this wasn't a violent or dramatic day it
was just a day foreign [Music] people there are some jobs where at the end of the day you can see what you've
done and you know if you're a carpenter you see what you've built and how this job
you never really you can definitely be jaded in your in your opinion about it are we doing any good here
you know your job is to do what you do take your calls if they supposed to uh if they're supposed to be arrested then
you arrest Ed people available to do a good job keep it moving [Music] criminal is created by Lauren Spore and
me Nadia Wilson is our senior producer Teresa katsurilis is our assistant producer audiomix by Rob Byers special
thanks to Mary Helen Montgomery Julian Alexander makes original illustrations for each episode of Criminal you can see
them at this criminal.com where on Facebook and Twitter at criminal show criminal is recorded in the studios of
North Carolina public radio wunc we're a proud member of radiotopia from PRX a collection of the best podcasts around
I'm Phoebe judge this is Criminal [Music]

We spend the day in a police car in Austin, Texas.

Music in the episode “Boxes Filled and Filled” by Original Music by Blue Dot Sessions “Come As You Are” by Blue Dot Sessions

Criminal is a show about people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. Hosted by Phoebe Judge. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. https://link.chtbl.com/n33u0HsA

Say hello on Twitter (@CriminalShow), Instagram (@criminal_podcast), and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsCriminal/.

Sign up for our occasional newsletter, The Accomplice https://bit.ly/accomplicenewsletter.

We also make This is Love and Phoebe Reads a Mystery.

Artwork by Julienne Alexander http://www.yssrs.com/.

Check out our online shop https://store.dftba.com/collections/criminal.

Episode transcripts are posted on our website https://thisiscriminal.com/.

Episode 102 originally published 11/2/2018 https://thisiscriminal.com/episode-102-ride-along-11-2-2018

Brief Summary

Officer Edward Ruff shares a day in the life of a police officer in Austin, Texas, covering various calls and interactions with the community.

Key points

Ride Along Experience. Phoebe shares her excitement about finally riding along with a police officer.
The Pig's Head Incident. Officers respond to a threatening note and a severed pig's head at a campaign office.
Naked Man on PCP. Officers encounter a man who has stripped his clothes, potentially under the influence of PCP.
Animal Control Call. Officers deal with a loose Chihuahua causing a ruckus in the neighborhood.
Emergency Call for a Teen. Officers respond to a call about a 14-year-old girl who took too many pills.
The Weight of Waiting. Officer Ruff's patience highlights the often unseen challenges of police work.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I wouldn't do it if I wasn't a police officer.

Officer Roth discusses his reluctance to engage with media.

3:05WatchJan 19, 2023

Tension

50/ 100Some tension

More from Criminal | A Podcast About Crime

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.