Idzeeboo's Blog

My brother-in-law Paul Thompson passed away last week after a crash in his work vehicle on the interstate. His co-worker (the driver) also passed away. It is a tremendous loss that has hit our family very hard. Paul was there after the births of all three of my children and was a big part of their lives growing up.

He was also a big part of my life and I'm glad that I got to share the last 15 years with him. Although Paul and Debbie seemed to move around a lot, they always made their way back to Jacksonville after a while. They spent many weekends at our house; staying up late and playing card and board games until the wee hours of the morning was not unusual.

We shared countless holidays, birthdays and other celebrations together and we don't have a single bad memory of him. He was a loving, caring and big-hearted fellow that would help you with anything you needed. He was the kind of guy that made you laugh without ever trying.

He is deeply missed. We loved him very much.

Please do not take anything for granted. Life is indeed short.

Here are some relative links:
Local News 4 - WJXT
First Coast News 25
Obituary
Guestbook

This weekend, I rode for the second time with the Nassau County Sheriff's Department. Another exciting shift (6PM to 6AM) with much to talk about. In fact, I have not had a single boring ride with any department yet. It is the nature of the business. Always something different, exciting and sometimes entertaining.

We handled several calls for domestic disputes including one where a neighbor called to say that the guy next door (a registered sexual predator) just went into his house with two young boys. After investigating, we ended up taking the young boys back to their parents who had no idea the guy was a sexual predator... scary. Later on, we responded to a call for shots fired outside the predator's house. Turns out the neighbor who originally called in on the predator needed to blow off some steam and wanted to intimidate the predator at the same time. It worked.

Another call came in later on for a drunk guy laying on the railroad tracks. He was fun. We also busted up a party with a bunch of underage drinkers. All in all, it was a good night. I can't wait until I can do it for a living!

Last Friday I was able to ride along with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office for the second time on the North side of town. I got a few moments of excitement as we responded for officer assitance to a felony traffic stop. All three occupants were removed from the vehicle at gun point and arrested. Two of the suspects had shop lifted electronic items from Walmart and the driver had several outstanding warrants.

Later in the evening we took some more drugs off the street in an apartment complex which had a triple shooting last week. The North side of town can be pretty rough some times! Although it seemed a little slow for a full-moon Friday, I still had a good time and learned a lot.

I know that when I complete the academy and start to do police work, I will love it. I am looking forward to getting more out of life than just a dull desk job.