Part 3: The Golden Shield
The gold-and-silver star of the Maryland State Police, combined with the gold-embossed lettering of the Deputy Superintendent’s office, caught the gray afternoon light.
Briggs’s hands froze in mid-air, inches from Caroline’s wrist. His breath hitched in his throat, his eyes locking onto the high-ranking badge before slowly rising to meet Caroline’s face.
“Sergeant Nolan Briggs,” Caroline read off his chest tag, her voice echoing across the quiet pavement like a judicial gavel. “Unit 412, Harbor Patrol Division. Are you familiar with Departmental Directive 104 regarding extortion under color of authority?”
Malloy’s face drained of every drop of color. He took two steps backward, completely disengaging from the shuttle door. “Oh, God…” he whispered under his breath, his hands immediately unclasping from his belt.
“Ma’am… Superintendent,” Briggs stammered, his posture instantly collapsing from aggressive predator to terrified subordinate. He swallowed hard, trying to force a professional posture that failed miserably. “I… we were conducting a routine commercial inspection. There was a misunderstanding with the driver regarding compliance—”
“You pressed the brake pedal yourself, Officer Malloy,” Caroline interrupted, turning her piercing gaze to the younger officer. “Did those lamps illuminate?”
Malloy didn’t hesitate for a single second. “Yes, Superintendent. They illuminated clearly.”
“Officer Malloy, turn your body camera upright and activate the recording function immediately,” Caroline ordered. “That is a direct command from the Executive Bureau.”
Malloy’s fingers flew to his chest, instantly snapping the camera into its proper position. A sharp, double-beep echoed across the avenue as the green recording light began to flash.
“You’re lying, Malloy!” Briggs snapped, panic turning his voice shrill. He turned back to Caroline, desperate to regain control of the narrative. “Ma’am, this corridor has seen a high volume of uninspected commercial vehicles. We were using discretion to resolve minor civil infractions efficiently—”
“You offered to waive an alleged safety hazard for six hundred dollars in cash,” Caroline said, stepping closer to Briggs until she was standing inches from his chest. “You threatened a citizen with unlawful seizure of his property, you physically assaulted a cooperative driver, and you attempted to unlawfully arrest an officer of the court for documenting your misconduct.”
Caroline raised her personal phone to her ear and dialed three numbers.
To see the entire district locked down by the Superintendent’s radio broadcast, continue reading below for Part 4.
