Chapter Seven: The Vendetta
Detective Josh Hastings sat at the end of a bench in courtroom number five. The courtroom was half full already, but the judge and accused had yet to appear. The robbery at Freddies Store in Bulham had happened four months earlier and the individual, known as Lee Harold Hoepecker had been in custody ever since.
Josh did not know what he feared most, the press, who might publish the entire story in the media or the convict himself. Hoepecker had seventy two previous convictions and didn’t appear to be the most hospitable of characters. Josh remembered the criminal cursing his name and threatening him. The Police Detective wished he did not have to be in this courtroom. As a young man starting out, he feared very little but now that he had a wife and kids, he had something to protect.
It was then that the doors opened and Josh Hastings could hear the clanging of chains as Hoepecker was escorted to his seat by two burly police officers. Josh did not look up as the convict walked past but he could sense that he was sneering at him.
“You’re dead Hastings,” he appeared to say. The convict appeared to be as unrepentant as ever. He had even grown a beard and shaven his head for added menace.
Within a few minutes the judge entered the courtroom and the trial began. Hoepecker pleaded guilty on all counts. Several witnesses were called, including the store’s owner and the wife of the now deceased victim. Shortly after the lunch break Josh was called to the witness stand.
“Mr Hastings,” the District Attorney’s representative addressed him, “You are a Police Detective is that correct?”
“Yes”
“And a decorated one at that, with twelve years of experience. Is that correct?”
“Well, yes.” Josh responded with a hint of nervousness. He found that being under a microscope in front of dozens of people was more nerve wracking than confronting an armed felon.
“Can you please tell us what happened on the evening of the robbery?” the lawyer asked him.
“I drove into the car park at about twenty to seven that evening and I walked into the store to pick up some groceries,” Josh declared, attempting to be as calm and careful in his recollections. “I joined a queue of about five people, including the deceased and his girlfriend. It was then that Mr Hoepecker appeared with a shotgun and demanded that the money be handed over. He handed the store owner a bag to be filled. The owner of the store filled up the bag and handed over the loot. It was at this point that Mr Diarra made a step forward. He was about to say something when Mr Hoepecker shot him and ran out of the store. I pursued him on foot into a park where I managed to restrain him.”
“Was there a struggle?”
“Yes. It took about a minute to subdue him.”
“Did Mr Hoepecker also fire gunshots at you also?”
“Yes.”
“Did he say anything after you arrested him?”
“He threatened me. He said that I would wish I’d never been born and that he would find my wife and kids and cut them apart piece by piece.”
“No more questions,” the prosecutor responded before taking his seat.
Mr Badham the defence attorney then stood up. “Detective Hastings, isn’t it possible that when the defendant shot Mr Diarra, that he was reaching inside his breast pocket for what Mr Badham thought was a gun?”
“Mr Diarra was unarmed sir.”
“Well Mr Hoepecker could not have known that. Perhaps Mr Diarra was reaching for a handkerchief and Mr Hoepecker panicked and shot him in apparent self defence. Isn’t that possible Detective Hastings.
“I don’t recall Mr Diarra reaching for anything.”
“But he did take a step forward didn’t he?”
“Yes, but that’s not against…” Josh tried to respond before being cut short.
“Why did he take a step forward?”
“Perhaps it was to shield his pregnant partner. Perhaps it was also because Mr Hoepecker had also assaulted the storekeeper and was appalled.”
“In other words you don’t know.”
“It’s anybody’s guess Mr Badham.”
“Were you aware that Mr Hoepecker has three young children. Three mouths to feed and three mothers to support. Doesn’t it make sense that he would be desperate in this situation. A father of three children. Do you have children yourself, Mr Hastings?
“Yes.”
“Doesn’t it make sense that you would do anything to support them and if times were tough, don’t you understand that many men would turn to crime to fulfil their paternal duty.”
“You’re putting words in my mouth.”
“Mr Hoepecker was trying to put food in mouths Mr Hastings,” the lawyer for the defence said in an attempt to be compassionate. “Take me back to the chase. You said that Mr Hoepecker aimed a gunshot at you and that he missed. Isn’t it probable that the gunshot he fired was a warning shot. Isn’t it possible that he had no intention of harming you and he was just hoping that you would let him escape and back away? Isn’t it possible that he wanted you to see that he was a good guy with a family of six to support and who had no intention of harming you?”
As the lawyer spoke, the defendant was making hand signals suggesting that he planned on cutting Josh’s throat at the first opportunity.
“I don’t think that that is the case. He had every intention of harming me.”
“Is that what you really think Mr Hastings? The decorated Police Detective with two awards for bravery. This could even be a third. All you have to do is lie. All you have to do is make Mr Hoepecker there, the Father of three, out to be an evil tyrant and then the medal is yours. All you have to do is to make yourself out to be the hero. Mr Hoepecker is the real hero here. He’s the man who was thinking of others. Detective Hastings was only thinking of his own glory. He doesn’t care if Mr Hoepecker rots in a cell or if his kids go hungry. All you care about Detective Hastings is that medal. All you care about is the glory. Isn’t that the case?”
“No. Of course not.”
“No more questions.”
Josh made his way down out of the witness box towards his seat. He was a little shaken after the interrogation and a little frustrated. He didn’t expect an easy ride but he also didn’t expect to be made out to be the bad guy.
The trial continued as Freddie and the partner of the deceased man were questioned. It was over after two days. Hoepecker had pleaded guilty but the judge reserved sentencing to take place two weeks later.