Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 12/3/07 Section: Mixed Plate

The cars aren't moving out of the way for the police car that's flying down South King Street at 50 mph with its blue lights flashing and siren blaring.

Officer Canady brakes at the stop light.

"I don't like to run intersections," he says. He makes a series of turns, weaves through more traffic, and pulls into the back entrance of Straub Hospital.

A man around 40 years old is passed out on the bench in front of the hospital. He's overdosed on something. Canady asks the man what he is on, but the man doesn't respond. Canady goes inside to ask some questions, and another officer starts talking to the man.

Canady comes back out and says they have to move him to the park across the street. The man has taken too much methadone, a drug commonly prescribed for heroin addicts. He needs sleep, but he can't do it in front of the hospital.

Canady and the other officer slap on a pair of plastic gloves. "We need you to walk, brother," Canady says. The man nods and struggles to his feet before stumbling and falling down.

"Give him a second to recover," Canady says.

The man gets up again and this time they have some success helping him about 20 feet to the sidewalk, where he falls down again. The man closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep.

Canady and the other officer look at each other, unsure of what to do. "How's this? He passed out," the officer says.

"Let's try again," Canady says. They pick the man up and drag him across the busy street to a park, where they lay the man on the bench so he can sleep peacefully for the night.

The air in the hospital emergency room is thick with a combination of exhaustion and energy. Everyone looks tired, and many take frequent gulps of coffee or energy drinks.

Canady is at Queen's Medical Center trying to find answers to a possible hit-and-run. A few yards away, behind a half-open curtain, doctors operate on the victim. Their voices are rushed and frantic.

No one is giving Canady much information, except for one nurse who tells him the man is in critical condition. Canady already knows.

"We can't do anything," Canady says. "Let's go talk to the EMT."

The EMTs aren't there, so Canady goes into the ambulance. He finds nothing. He walks to his patrol car parked a few yards away and opens the trunk. He takes out a tin of chewing tobacco, pinches a little and puts it in his mouth.

"I only chew when I'm working," Canady says. "I tell myself it makes the time go by faster or something."

Canady makes calls trying to find out what is going on. He needs two specific pieces of information to put on the hospital forms so he can get out of there. Canady doesn't get the information he needs.

"Let's go see if he's still hanging in there," he says, referring to the victim. Back inside, workers wheel the man out. His body is covered with a blanket, but his blood-coated face is visible.

The inside of the operating room is littered with syringes and blood-stained towels. It looks terrible, but Canady says he's seen worse.

Canady goes back outside to his squad car and makes a few more calls but still can't get the information he needs.

The ground around Canady is starting to look like a mud puddle from the chewing tobacco he's working on. He shakes his head. "Just leave work at work," he says. "I honestly say I go home and don't even think about work." Canady smiles.

"Drinking helps."

His phone rings for about the 20th time in the past half hour, and he answers it. His face lights up as he finally gets the information he needs. He scribbles the information on the hospital forms and goes back inside to drop them off.

Back inside the patrol car, Canady says, "I'm curious." He drives to the crime scene. Patrol cars and yellow tape block the street. Blue lights flash everywhere, and many people are watching outside their houses.

HPD detectives are present, and Canady tells them what he knows. Walking back to his car, he passes by the mo-ped that was hit. It is still in decent condition.

"A lot of times in these mo-ped accidents, the mo-ped doesn't get too damaged ... but the guy goes flying off," Canady says.

Back inside the car, for the first time all night, Canady is quiet for a long time. He looks a little tired. He nears the police station.

"Just another normal day," Canady says.

Eligibility for the ride-along program:

• College students as arranged for classroom credit programs.


Certified police explorer scouts

• Persons with an interest in a career in law enforcement as referred by school and career counselors.


• Families and friends of police officers
  Members of the news media


• Others at the discretion of the commander of the Community Affairs Section or the district patrol commander.


Requirements:
• Must be 18 year of age or older.


• Each ride must be authorized by the Community Affairs Section commander or a designee, or by the district patrol commander.


• Adult must fill out the adult waiver, an authorization/medical/injury form, and have it approved.


• The Emergency Information form must be in the participant's possession at all times during the ride.


Rules:
• All participants are limited to one ride per calendar year.


• Hours of operation are normally 6 to 10 p.m. Rides are limited to four hours.


• Male riders ride with male officers and females with female officers.


• Riders will make arrangements with the district at least two days in advance of the desired ride-along date. Must be properly dressed and wear shoes (no slippers).

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