"Chasing a Bad Guy"
Ludlow is wanted by the cops after he fires a couple of shots at two officers during a traffic stop. That incident happened back in February.
Now it’s March, and Ludlow is spotted by Garden City, Idaho, police. Since Garden City is surrounded by Boise, the city cops come running when it’s announced that the wanted man has been spotted, according to reports from the Associated Press.
Garden City is a small town with only about 11,000 residents. So far, Ludlow has managed to outrun the cops during a zigzag style chase. Quickly, more cops join in the chase.
During the course of this slow-speed event, several of the squad cars are able to pull close enough to Ludlow that the cops feel confident enough to fire shots at this fleeing felon.
But Ludlow, untouched by the fusillade of gunfire, continues his evasive driving until he flees the neighborhood. A short distance away, in another neighborhood, Ludlow drives into somebody’s back yard, through a tool shed and then plunges into an irrigation ditch — and stops.
Ludlow’s wrecked car is soon surrounded by a bevy of country cops and city cops. He meekly surrenders and is dragged out of his car, uninjured. The charges against Ludlow are too many and too long to list here. I’m sure you can guess most of them.
However, within a few days the city cops and the country cops begin receiving insurance claims from the neighborhood. The claims total about $7,000. Not a huge amount, considering the events of the day.
Adjusters say it’ll take $7,000 to repair bullet holes from the 22 shots fired by four cops during the chase. That includes bullet holes in doors, windows, window frames, garage doors, one all-terrain vehicle, and a clothes dryer. There’s also a claim for damage to an outdoor grill from a hole made by a .357-Magnum. Not one person, including cops, bad guys, and bystanders, was injured by gunfire!
Copyright-Bob Ford 2005
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