What I saw

I awoke Thursday with a feeling of dread; I figured I was going to have a rough day at work - and well I did.

Lewiston, Idaho, is a safer than average town to live in I would say, and being someone who has worked in the news room of the local paper for about 4 1/2 years now, as well as being married to the cops and courts reporter, I would say I am relatively qualified to say that. We just don't have that much violent crime around here.

Thursday morning, I was as I am most mornings setting at my desk working away; Thursdays are usually a pretty busy day for me. We listen to the scanner so that we know when things like car accidents, fires or, as in the case of this day, a bank robbery occur.

Now people who work in news are a special breed, we get excited when this sort of thing happens. My Husband Brad happen to have the day off and when the call came over the scanner I sent him a text telling him about the robbery, which he responded to with an "F!"

Kerri Sandaine - the education reporter, the managing editor and I were standing by a big window looking out, intently listening to the scanner traffic. Watching for the suspect who was in our area on foot - even though he reportedly had a gun we decided to go out looking for him.

I headed toward the river followed by Kerri, city editor Craig Clohessy and managing editor Doug Bauer. There is what is known as the levy bypass between the Tribune and the river and a pedestrian bridge crosses over the bypass. I was just about to the bridge when gun fire rung out - at which point I began running toward the shots. I got within a football field away from the action just in time to see a man fall to the ground. Two police officers and a sheriff's deputy slowly approached as other officers just arriving on scene bailed from vehicles guns drawn approaching the man on the ground. Once the man was surrounded the deputy and one of the original officers walked away from the man visibly shaken by what had just occurred. As the scene unfolded in front of me I stood, adrenalin pumping, thinking wow what a story and making mental notes of the scene to fill in details for whichever reporter would write the story. Once Barry Kough, a photographer for the paper, Kerri and Craig were on scene I ran back to the office to tell Doug what I just saw so we could get it up on breaking news.

On my way back I encountered my husband - Yes he came in to work because it's his beat and he wanted the story - see what I mean, we are a special breed of people.

Back at the office I answered the questions of co-workers and tried to catch my breath. As the story unfolded and I went back to my work the adrenalin wore off and I began to realize what I had witnessed and it began to effect me. I mean it wasn't at all like you see on TV or in movies - reality is less dramatic, yet more dramatic. I can't stop the tears whenever I think about it. I close my eyes and hear sirens, gun shots. I don't see anything just blackness.

In the light, I am filled with questions - did that teller, who had a gun pointed at her, or the officers who had to shoot a man pointing a gun at them, have the same feeling Thursday morning that I did? What in a 69-year-old man's life, who up to this day had not been a "criminal" - a guy whose neighbors describe him as being a great guy who would help anyone - would drive him to commit such a desperate act? Most of all will we ever get any answers? The guy lays in critical condition in a Seattle hospital. Oh and the reported $3,000 he made away with somehow disappeared between the bank and where the police located the bag believed to be used to carry the money.

The teller, the police officers who did a great job that day, and the man who felt so desperate to do this are all in my prayers - may peace find us all!

Thanks - Pegs