Cops is filmed...

on location with the men and women of law enforcement. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. UNLESS, YOU are my NEIGHBOR. I can't tell you how many episodes of that Fox gem I have watched (clearly enough to know the intro by heart...it's just part of marrying another public servant). But, never ever have I been an actual witness to anything someone might see on the show (aside from watching myself get a speeding ticket, of course. What's wrong with 15 over, anyway?). Until last night.

My DH and I had just settled in for the night. Both monkeys were asleep. I had changed into my jammies (Oh flannel, I do love you). I was all prepped to argue against Sean Hannity when the dog across the way started barking his head off. At first I thought, "Great. Buster's out again." Then I heard what I thought was yelling. We muted the TV and looked at each other. Sure enough, there was yelling. My DH sprang from the couch, took a look outside, ran back in the bedroom for his badge and gun and yelled, "Call 911!" as he ran out of the door and jumped off the porch. In a former life, I was a dispatcher (so please don't believe my DH when he tells you we met when he arrested me) and I hated it when the caller on 911 didn't really have any information (kind of like me last night). But, I called anyway. Because someone did yell "Help! Police!" and my DH was out there in his sweats without a radio or even his cell.

I gave the dispatcher everything I knew as I was watching out the door (if it had gone south, I'm not sure what I would have done. Run out in my jammies with the T-ball bat, maybe?). From what I gathered, it seemed like a domestic. I do know that my DH wasn't there to play and it wasn't just some sort of friendly misunderstanding (evidenced by his stance and that I could hear him across the street telling the neighbor to "calm down").

So after a bit, backup arrived (they promptly made fun of DH's sweats and ratty T-shirt). Apparently, both the neighbor and his girlfriend were eligible for a free ride to the S.O., but they both declined to press charges against the other. The involved parties went their separate ways, the road officers didn't have to write an arrest report, my DH came back home and I got a good story to tell. Everyone won (except for maybe my neighbor because now it will just be awkward at the mailbox).