"Sorry I'm late," Eddie said nervously and out of breath as she took a seat opposite the two attorneys assigned to investigate Jamie. She hated having been called in as a witness, especially when she didn't really witness much that would help his case. She was struggling internally with how to have his back on this- she really wanted to have his back, but this ugly mess that was boiling was getting out of hand and it wasn't looking good for Jamie, or any of the Reagans, for that matter.
"Officer Janko, I hope you understand the seriousness of this investigation," Counselor Lee started, her stern voice leaving no room for argument.
"Of course," was all Eddie could say in reply.
Counselor Lee continued. "We would like to remind you to answer all questions truthfully. If it is found to be otherwise, this Office will hold you in contempt for obstruction of justice."
"I understand."
"Good. Exactly where were you positioned when Officer Reagan threw the pedestrian off the bike?"
Eddie furrowed her brow in disgust. That just didn't even sound right that Jamie would ever do something like that. "You mean when Officer Reagan allegedly threw the pedestrian off the bike?"
"We'll be the ones asking the questions, Officer Janko," piped up Counselor Simmons. He had a smirk on his face. "What exactly did you see regarding this incident?"
"The crowd was getting out of control. They were pushing into the street and I was in the front line with other officers trying to get them to back up onto the sidewalk. Then I heard the commotion behind me, and when I turned around, I saw the biker on the ground and Officer Reagan kneeling down trying to assess his injuries. I never saw what happened prior to that."
"And what was the reaction of the crowd? What were the people around him saying?" Lee asked.
Eddie squirmed in her chair and cleared her throat. "They were…" Eddie hesitated. She knew she had to tell the truth, but this was not going to help. "They were accusing him of police brutality. But knowing Jamie the way I do—"
"Yes, let's talk about how well you know Jamie," Lee interrupted. "You've been partnered with him for what, almost three years now?"
"That's correct."
"And at any time in those almost three years of your partnership, has Officer Reagan ever acted out unprofessionally in a violent manner?"
"Jamie has never had anything but the utmost respect for the shield he wears and has done an exemplary job in upholding his duty to serve and protect this City and all those in it, willingly ready to give his life if necessary. I have first-hand experience in witnessing his care for the people of New York. Just a few weeks ago, he talked Jenny, a mentally challenged teen, into dropping her knife and then held her in his arms while she cried. She could have killed him, but he bravely and calmly helped her through."
Counselor Lee had a smile on her face while she was digging through the file in front of her. She pulled the piece of paper out that she was looking for and held it up. "That's nice. But you didn't really answer the question. Think back, Officer Janko. What about this incident in which the two of you responded to a domestic dispute and Officer Reagan ended up punching the poor guy to the ground? Good thing your Sargent pulled up when he did or this guy would have ended up in the hospital."
Lee pushed the paper in front of Eddie for her to read. Eddie didn't need to read it. She knew that Jamie was just protecting her in that instance, but at the same time she knew the amount of force he used was a bit excessive. The two of them had never really talked about it further, but given the growing feelings and stronger bond that was shared between them lately, she understood why he reacted that way. She would do the same for him; she had admitted to Jamie that she would have shot Jenny if she would have tried anything with that knife against him.
"That 'poor' guy was pushing around his girlfriend and then he put his hands on me and pushed me to the ground," Eddie answered carefully, not wanting to give too much away.
"But just "pushing around" doesn't sound to me like it warranted several punches to the guy's face and ribs and wrestling him to the ground to get him back under control," Simmons added. "In your opinion, don't you think Officer Reagan's actions were excessive?"
"Jamie was just protecting both me and the girlfriend. It was clear that the guy was not going to stop anytime soon. Look, the guy didn't even press charges, and the matter was cleared with no reprimand on Officer Reagan's part."
"But your Sargent regarded it as a serious enough incident that he noted it on Officer Reagan's permanent record," Lee reminded her.
Eddie sighed and pushed the paper back at Lee. It was clear to her that their minds were already made up about Jamie, and nothing she could say was going to change that. "Are we done here?"
Lee and Simmons shared a look and nodded.
"You're dismissed, Officer Janko."
