Reporter gets more than expected on police ride-along

During his Friday night shift, I experienced my first ride-along with the Folsom Police Department with Officer Sean Stokhaug.While some see Friday nights as a night to relax and party, to Stokhaug, it's the start of a 10-hour shift to protect the citizens of Folsom.Entering the car, I felt excited and unsure of what to expect, and little did I know it would be one of the most exciting ride-alongs in the department's history that would include two high-speed pursuits and a shooting.After a pre-shift briefing with the other officers on duty, it was time to patrol the streets.His first few calls came quickly, including suspicious behavior at a home and a domestic disturbance, both turning out to be safe."Not knowing who he (one suspect) was and how he would react, I first had him sit down to allow for better safety for myself," he said. "I feel out every situation. How a person reacts to me will help decide what tone to take while approaching him."Stokhaug, a 10-year police veteran, said experience allows him to have a calmer tone with suspects during most situations.Later, we took a lunch break at a local restaurant and I was amazed to see that even before we ordered, one man waved, saying a friendly thank you. While sitting to eat, I also saw two children wave and say hi."For the most part people are friendly and people will thank me for my service," Stokhaug said. "But we always keep our guard up because, even in Folsom, people want to hurt cops."Next, we were sent to check on two adult females held on charges of theft at Kohl's in Folsom.After the women explained they stole as a result of the "bad economy," I was impressed that Stokhaug reacted by simply saying, "the economy is bad for all of us. I recently experienced huge pay cuts, and I'm supporting a family of four. I want new clothes too, but you don't see me stealing."One woman was arrested on charges of grand theft for stealing more than $400 worth in items. This one arrest created more than an hour's time in documentation."People see a 30-minute cop show and think it's all chasing cars and fighting bad guys, but they don't realize that there is a documentation process that occurs," he said. "We need to dot our i's and cross our t's to ensure factual documentation is recorded during an arrest."After returning from the Sacramento County Jail, Stokhaug planned to make a stop at the department, but our plans quickly changed as we found ourselves in my first high-speed pursuit.Making a U-turn back to Prairie City and Blue Ravine, we found an officer in pursuit of seven minors in one car, allegedly under the influence, and traveling at 80 mph.The minors allegedly swerved over the center median and collided with another vehicle. There were no injuries reported.The driver jumped out of the car and ran into a nearby wooded area to hide.One officer returned from an unsuccessful search, looking as though he'd ran through water and muddy terrain.The driver was caught at 11:03 a.m. on Sunday at his home and arrested on charges of hit and run causing injury and felony evasion of an officer, said Officer Jason Browning, public information officer.After taking statements and calling the minors' parents, Stokhaug was back to patrolling Sutter Street after last call.During the last few minutes of Stokhaug's shift, dispatch called, "Pursuit in progress … an officer was hit."We sped through residential neighborhoods in Folsom, jumping sidewalks along the way.Stokhaug stopped and slowly said under his breath, "OK, where is this guy?" I felt like I was in a movie.The call led to a four-minute pursuit involving all officers on duty and ended in an officer involved shooting.While sitting in his car, strategically behind the suspect's vehicle, I found myself holding my breath. But, after riding with Stokhaug for 10 hours, I felt extremely calm and trusted his ability to protect me.For Stokhaug, this was just another day at the office, and for me it was one exciting and stomach turning introduction to the work of the Folsom Police Department.