LAPD is really cautious.

Listening to the loud shouts of David and his colleagues, Locke fell silent. He could clearly see the face of the suspect inside the Honda CRV. At this distance, with his L3 Master Pistol skills, he was confident he could hit the target.

However, since the suspect hadn't made any dangerous moves yet, he couldn't shoot. The only option was to join the other officers in shouting commands, trying to intimidate the suspect into getting out of the car.

The suspect in the Honda CRV seemed to be well-versed in LAPD procedures. He remained seated in the car, making phone calls and showing no intention of getting out.

Although the situation was at a standstill, LAPD had the upper hand. The patrol officers had the suspect cornered, waiting for the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team to arrive for a forced entry.

According to LAPD regulations, assaults on fortified positions, whether houses or vehicles, were the jurisdiction of the SWAT team. This kind of situation posed too much risk for regular officers.

Locke kept a close eye on the white suspect in the car. If the suspect made any move to shoot, he would be ready to fire, ending the standoff of 20 versus 1.

Suddenly, the white suspect in the car made a motion to open the door, causing all the officers to tense up even more. 

"Show your hands!"

"Let me see your hands..."

"Slow down!"

"Get out of the car!"

"..."

The door opened, and the white suspect raised both hands, slowly exiting the vehicle. In one hand, he held a phone, and in the other, a 1911 pistol.

"Drop the gun!"

"Put the gun down..."

"Get down on the ground!"

"Lie down on the ground..."

"..."

The white suspect slowly lay down on the ground, then pushed the gun forward. Immediately, officers rushed forward, picking up the gun from the ground before handcuffing the suspect.

"You have the right to remain silent..."

Locke watched as two officers escorted the handcuffed suspect into a police car. He reluctantly holstered his gun, realizing that his hoped-for administrative leave had been dashed.

Lucky guy! If the suspect had made any sudden moves, he would have been riddled with bullets by the police.

Because most LAPD officers carried Glock G18 pistols, which had full automatic capabilities and could be used like automatic rifles, clearing the scene would have been swift.

Soon, the scene was taken over by the duty sergeant, and the Code 99 emergency response ended. Locke and David left the scene to continue patrolling.

David kept track of the injured officers' condition on the public frequency, relieved to hear that they only had minor injuries.

Putting down his radio, David noticed Locke looking a bit downcast and asked with a smile, "Feeling frustrated?"

Locke shrugged, admitting, "A bit..."

David said seriously, "There's always a risk when you use your gun. Either the suspect gets hurt or killed, or the officer..."

Locke realized his mindset was skewed, too focused on the rewards of taking down criminals. He sighed and nodded, "You're right!"

David continued, "Actually, this is the norm. The shootout with the drug dealers last time was the exception..."

The probability of LAPD encountering gunfire on the streets was low. When it did happen, they usually outnumbered the suspects and surrendered, except for the black suspects.

Real large-scale operations or assaults were handled directly by the SWAT team, with precinct officers handling cleanup.

So, American police weren't as dangerous as people imagined, because they played it safe.

Moreover, American police had a much-criticized rule worldwide: if the officer judged that the suspect might harm them, they could shoot first. Over 1,000 people died at the hands of police in the US every year.

David shifted his position and asked, "I didn't see Mona and Nathan just now. Nathan should invite us for coffee, that jinx..."

Locke thought for a moment, indeed not seeing their patrol car. Otherwise, Mona would have stepped forward to take charge of the scene.

David picked up the radio to call, but before he could speak, the radio crackled again.

"DE3, assault at 55 Casa Road, need backup..."

"7ADA15, PY..."

DE3, emergency, use lights and sirens.

Locke activated the lights and sirens again, flooring the gas pedal, and the patrol car shot off.

He was speechless. Nathan was indeed a jinx, definitely hexed. He would have to be more cautious in the future.

In less than 3 minutes, they arrived at 55 Casa Road, where they found four police cars and an ambulance already on the scene.

After Locke and David got out of the car, they saw Mona and Nathan here too, talking. Both were covered in blood, their hands soaked in red.

David exclaimed, "What happened? Are you guys injured?"

"No..."

Mona's expression was grim. She replied, "Remember the domestic violence case we told you about at noon? The man called again this afternoon, claiming to be abused again by the woman. When we arrived, we saw the woman riding on the man's neck, using scissors to harm him. Although we intervened, the scissors had already pierced his major artery. By the time the ambulance arrived, the man had bled to death..."

Nathan said shamefully, "It's my fault. If I had asked more questions this morning, he wouldn't have died..."

Mona frowned, "It's not your fault. He said he was fine at the time and stopped us from asking further questions..."

David had intended to blame Nathan, but seeing this scene, he felt more sympathetic. He patted Nathan on the shoulder, "Rookie, we're just cops, not gods. You did your best..."

Soon, the forensic team arrived. This case was straightforward. Mona and Nathan witnessed the woman killing her boyfriend, and they were here to collect evidence and follow procedures. Barring any surprises, the woman would be charged with first-degree murder.

Because Nathan said the room was sprayed with blood, Locke and David didn't enter the room. Instead, they went to pay their respects to the deceased.

Indeed, he was a burly man. When the coroner lifted the body, Locke and David helped.

The suspect was a petite blonde girl, looking calm as she was held in a police car.

The contrast shocked not only Nathan and Mona but also Locke himself. He couldn't believe such a small woman could kill a man of that size.

Was he stupid?

Didn't he resist?

Because they had to protect the scene, Locke and his team had to wait until the forensic team finished their work before they could leave.

So they worked overtime until 6 o'clock before finishing their work for the day.

At this point, Nathan had calmed down. Realizing the consecutive incidents this afternoon might be related to his jinx at noon, he sincerely invited everyone to have a drink at the Sky Bar. However, Locke and David declined, leaving only Mona to accept.

After parting ways with everyone in the parking lot, Locke didn't drive back to Gran's apartment or his home in Beverly Hills.

Instead, he drove in the opposite direction, heading to the Chinatown in the East San Gabriel Valley.

Although he had heard from Mona earlier that Daisy Greenberg's office camera tampering case had been solved, he remained cautious, constantly observing

 whether the detective bureau was still tracking him.

He couldn't deny that he was wary of Tom Williams, the detective. That guy's eyes seemed to see through people, making him uneasy.