Victims in the Centre of the Universe

PKR, The Princess and I were victims in Wallace tonight.

I got shot in the leg. PKR was taken hostage in the local hardware store, then shot in the back. The Princess was shot and killed.

At least that was our performance for this evening.

A little bit of a departure from our normal Sixth Street Theater performances, but that is why we got this gig.

We got to help Shoshone County Law Enforcement with a drill tonight in Wallace.

They needed three actors to help with the drill, and we have a friend in the courthouse who is also on the theater board, so it worked out for us to help.

It started with me making a phone call to the dispatcher and I said this:

"I've just been shot!!! Two men were inside of the hardware store and they shot me. One guy I saw go into the courthouse and I think the other is still inside the hardware store. I am hurt, please help me. My daughter is here with me but she is hurt really bad."

At this point, I am on the steps of the Public Safety Building which is across the street from the Courthouse and hardware store, and The Princess is laying on the bench behind me. PKR is being held hostage inside of the hardware store.

The dispatcher asked me questions, which I answered until an officer came out and told me to hang up.

A while later I was told to call back and say I was bleeding really bad and was told to be really upset.

At one point, PKR came out of the hardware store with his hands up, then he fell down like he had been shot, and he laid on the sidewalk outside of the hardware store. By this time the "sniper" had been "shot" on the roof of the courthouse.

After PKR had been "shot", a team of officers in black uniforms and guns and helmets assembled across the street to go into the hardware store. Then a "flash bang" was set off in the back of the hardware store as a diversion (that thing was LOUD!!), and the team went into the hardware store to find the gunman.

PKR wasn't sure what to do at this point, so he came across the street and joined us on the steps, and some medical personel came to assist us. Then the team went to the courthouse to assess the situation and let off another flash bang device so they could go up to the roof of the courthouse and take care of the sniper.

Once it was all over, we got to go be a part of the debriefing session.

As we sat there and listened to the officers talk, we realized how fortunate we are to have these men and women trained and ready to handle this type of situation. The comments were very positive on how the whole drill went, and all who were a part were very pleased.

What a remarkable experience. To watch the officers do their work, and then as they talked about their plans afterwards, it was amazing.

The most odd part of the whole evening were the people in Wallace who were either on foot or driving by while all of this was going on. They didn't shut the street down, so people could still drive or walk down the street, and, from our vantage point, people didn't seem too alarmed to see the tactical forces bunched together ready to go into the hardware store with their rifles as my husband is laying on the ground in front of the store.

I guess all three Spokane news stations, channels 2, 4 and 6 heard it on the scanner and were sending crews until the sherrif called them off. They had made it clear it was a drill when it began on the scanner.

A very eye opening experience. As one of the officers in the debriefing said, "Most people are just sitting home watching TV tonight, but look at what we get to do."

I admire the job I saw performed tonight, and my esteem of these officers increased as I saw a glimpse of what they do to make our county safe.

Thanks. We really appreciate it.