Police Stories: The Rookie Years. All City Assist!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast bonus series, retired Milwaukee Police Sergeant Patrick O'Donnell reads Chapter 31, "All-City Assist," from his upcoming book:Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos, & Life as a Big City CopRachel and Patrick are processing a routine arrest at District Five when the radio crackles to life: "245B, they're shooting at us! Send us more squads!"It's Grace—Rachel's old partner—getting shot at in a gangway next to the Blues Oasis Tavern. The dispatcher opens the channel citywide: "Any squad, assist the officers. They are taking gunfire."An all-city assist. Every cop drops everything and responds.When Rachel and Patrick arrive, they find three dead bodies, cops returning fire in a gangway, and a suspect shooting at officers with a .357 Magnum. Inside the tavern, they clear a dark basement not knowing if someone is waiting to shoot them. When they come back upstairs, Patrick looks down and sees a sea of bullet casings—more than he'd ever seen in 25 years.Three people are dead. Cops were almost killed. And a short blurb on the evening news.All stories are real. Names and locations have been changed where necessary.⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence, active shooter scenarios, and multiple deaths. Listener discretion is strongly advised.🎧 This episode includes:What "all-city assist" meansGrace's voice screaming over the radio: "They're shooting at us!"The suspect with a .357 Magnum, pretending to surrender while shooting at copsA bullet ricocheting off bricks and shattering a cop's glassesThe Marine who calmly requested backup as if he was "ordering a pizza"Patrick tripping over the first body in the gutterTwo dead victims inside—one still holding his BudweiserAuditory exclusion, tunnel vision, and the fight-or-flight responseRachel and Patrick clearing a dark basement: "You're going too fast!" "You're going too slow!"A sea of bullet casings covered the floor"Swede" tearing the suspect off a fence and crushing his collarboneChoir practice at Rookies—cops using popcorn and glasses to replay the sceneGoing home to a family who had no idea what had just happenedA short blurb on the evening news—three dead, but the public never knew the full story📘 About the Book:Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos, & Life as a Big City Cop is a true crime memoir chronicling Patrick O'Donnell's early career as a big city cop during Milwaukee's crack wars in the 1990s.Book Release: Mid-March 2026Book Update: The manuscript is with the editor! Pre-orders are LIVE on Amazon. The book is currently a #1 New Release in the Biographies of Law Enforcement category.🔗 Pre-order now: Search "Police Stories: The Rookie Years Patrick O'Donnell" on Amazon or check the link below.📧 Contact Patrick:Email: [email protected]: copsandwriters.comFacebook Group: Cops and Writers👍 If this story stuck with you:Subscribe, leave a review, and share with someone who can handle the truth about what cops see behind the badge.New chapters every Wednesday night.Visit the Cops & Writers Website!Support the show