When Encircled By Police, Look Sharp

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My morning routine goes something like this: wake without an alarm, drink a cup of hot tea while checking the weather online and then getting dressed to run in the dark, grabbing my cell phone and setting my stopwatch on the way out the door.

On this morning's run, I wished I'd checked the crime blotter too because I was immediately joined by a police helicopter circling overhead and focused on the same area that I was running.

Lots of things go through your head, especially if you've been mistaken for a bad guy in the past. Do they think I did it? And since I know I am innocent, that means whoever they are after is presumably hiding nearby.

I noticed the helo was circling the area where I was heading and decided to change course. It could have been my imagination, but it seemed the helicopter changed course too and continued to tail me. So I did what any respectable runner who forgot her reflective vest would do: I started to run with great form in the hopes I looked more fit and less desperate. The staccato strains of the rotating blades soon abated.

Soon as I got home I went online and discovered they were searching for a motorist who had killed a pedestrian just up the street, resulting in road closures and the manhunt. By the way, the helicopter left the area as soon as I finished my run. I thought maybe I was no longer a suspect, but it was because the crime scene had reopened to traffic. Not that I ever was a suspect. But it's good to be reminded we are not alone out there. Stay safe.

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