The police cruiser turned around the robed man and came to a stop in front of him. Four officers exited the vehicle and rushed to surround the man. He stopped and slowly raised his hands, still smiling calmly. The officers were talking or yelling something to him. David was vaguely aware of the reporter narrating the events but paid him no mind. The man was speaking now, turning his head to each officer and resting his gaze on them for a few seconds at a time. He turned to a woman to his right last and spoke to her longer than the rest. As he did she raised her hand to her mouth, dropping it back to her side when he finished. David couldn’t see her face but from the motion of her head she seemed to be talking to the robed man.
The other 3 officers were shifting uncomfortably in place. One placed his hand on his gun, still in its holster. The robed man spoke again and cocked his head to one side. David watched his mouth form a few words before the man looked at each of the officers before him.
“I wish I knew how to read lips.” David said aloud to himself. The robed man turned to the office furthest to his left and spoke. His face was still calm, gentle, and seemed to David almost loving in a fatherly sort of way. The man he spoke to turned his head to his left, averting his gaze. The robed man turned to the next officer and spoke as well. This man took a step back and shook his head repeatedly. When he was finished, the robed man turned to the third officer, who still had his hand on his gun. The robed man began to speak, more passionately this time. The other three officers turned towards their comrade and the woman took a step away from him with a look of shock on her face.
In an instant the officer’s gun was drawn and three shots were fired at the robed man. David’s eyes widened as the gun kicked mere feet away from the officer’s target. The robed man shook his head slowly and a sad expression crossed his face. David expected him to collapse or for crimson blood to begin spreading across his robed chest like the villain at the end of a cheap action movie. The man began to speak again and once more the gun kicked in the hand of the officer in front of him but he was unphased. David lost track of how many shots were fired as the robed man continued speaking calmly, as if nothing was happening. The officer appeared to pull the trigger a few times and nothing happened, his magazine spent. The gun dropped to the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust as it hit the ground. The man who fired fell to his knees as his fellow officers looked in disbelief between him and the robed man.
David watched transfixed as the robed man took a step towards the officer. No one else moved. The robed man leaned forward and extended his hand to the officer kneeling before him. He spoke a few short words and the officer’s body began to heave with heavy sobs and feel forward into the dust. The robed man knelt down in front of the sobbing officer and placed a hand gently on his head. A moment that felt like hours passed and David watched as the robed man stood up slowly and extended his hand once again. The officer slowly pushed himself onto his knees and looked at the man he had earlier tried to shoot repeatedly. He raised his hand slowly at first, then quickly grasped the robed man’s outstretched arm. He was pulled to his feet. The officer took a hesitating step forward before throwing his arms around the robed man and his body was once shuddering with deep sobs. The robed man placed one arm around the officer’s shoulders and once again looked up at the news helicopter’s camera, his face the picture of fatherly compassion.
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