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A Routine Call
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A Routine Call

A former NAACP activist snaps and tries to kill a police officer.

Pedro L. Gonzalez's avatar
Pedro L. Gonzalez
Oct 15, 2024
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Note: There’s a free newsletter out now that contains a roundup of non-fiction and non-fiction essays, along with my latest work.


It was supposed to be a routine welfare check. Officer Peter Liu, a 14-year veteran of the Fairfax County Police Department, was trained in this sort of thing. He had been here before, the home of Sydney Wilson, or “Big Syd,” as she was known to some.

The body camera is rolling. Liu knocks at Wilson’s door. She appears in a white robe after a moment.

“Hi ma’am, I’m Officer Liu,” he says.

“Hi,” Wilson whispers back before closing the door.

He knocks again. “Miss Wilson, can you talk to me real quick?”

Fairfax County usually sends co-responder teams on these calls as part of a program that partners mental health counselors with police officers. But Liu has been trained in crisis intervention, and he’s been here before.

“Sydney? Can you please talk to me? I just want to check on you, make sure you’re okay, that’s all.”

Wilson is 6’5” and weighs 330 pounds. A mental health counselor had called and said she was in “potentially an agitated state” state that morning. But that didn’t necessarily mean aggressive or combative. It could indicate any number of things.

Liu knocks again. “You’re not in trouble.”

The door opens.

“How are you?” Wilson asks while almost simultaneously lunging at him with a knife.

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