Los Santos County Sheriff's Department "A TRADITION OF SERVICE" News Release April 19th, 2025 |
- Night Shift- Always Watching
- Blaine County: Everyone knows the day shift at the Sheriff’s Department. It’s not uncommon to see Assistant Sheriffs and even the Undersheriff on duty, with command staff actively out in the field leading by example. Supervisors are regularly checking in with their teams, supporting staff, and carrying out general duties.
But around three in the morning, the day shift begins to clock off—and the night shift takes over.
The night shift is a unique group. They run on caffeine and adrenaline, knowing that backup might be five minutes away—or more. They’re a tight-knit team, often described as “a little rough around the edges,” but when someone calls for help, they become a unified, professional, and highly efficient force.
We reached out to our night shifters, and instead of conducting a standard interview full of the usual answers, we wanted to do something different—put you in their shoes for a night on duty with the team.
[This is a dramatization of an average night shift. Events have been altered for anonymity and are a combination of several incidents that occurred during a single shift. It is written from a perspective as a deputy filling out a duty log.]
03:00 AM
I clock in and grab my equipment for the shift. I make sure my taser is charged, my handcuffs lock into place, and my firearms are loaded, with spare ammunition stored in my cruiser. After polishing my new Deputy Sheriff III badge, I head out of the station, check my scout, and take a quick walk, as per policy.
03:05 AM
The first call comes in over the radio. “HELP, MY LEGS ARE BROKEN!” I check the Mobile Data Center and see that MD is clocked in, but when I radio for them, they tell me they are tied up with a CODE ONE in the city. I respond to the logging camp CODE THREE and find [REDACTED] on the ground with clear leg injuries. I apply a splint, help him into my cruiser, and self-transport him to Plato MD. Once he is in their care, I go back 10-8 (Back in service).
03:48 AM
Our Traffic Service Detail calls for backup on a traffic stop. I respond CODE TWO and arrive five minutes later. Everything goes smoothly, and I return 10-8.
04:12 AM
The radio breaks its silence. A panicked voice comes through. “PD TO SD, JTAC1.” We all switch frequencies. PD tells us that [REDACTED] just attempted to ambush them, and they need immediate backup. It is three of us from the Sheriff’s Department and two from PD against an unknown number of suspects.
This is the job I signed up for. I hit my lights and sirens and race there CODE THREE. Six miles later, I pull up to the scene. Bullet holes are everywhere, but the shooters are long gone. We search for evidence, find a few shell casings, but nothing of real value. With no leads, we close JTAC and head back to the county.
04:24 AM
On the way back, a 911 call comes in about a store robbery. The three of us respond, but by the time we get there, it is a ghost town. We collect CCTV footage and put out a BOLO (Be On the Lookout).
04:39 AM
I conduct a traffic stop. The driver is cited for second-degree speeding and warned about their covered xenon headlights on the freeway.
05:02 AM
I continue my patrol and end up at Bayview, where I find an abandoned vehicle with no license plate. I deploy a flatbed, tow it to impound, and go back 10-8.
05:34 AM
Another traffic stop. The driver ran the toll, so I let them off with a verbal warning.
05:35 AM
While I am finishing up the traffic stop, the radio crackles to life. “12-R-XX TO ALL, SHOTS FIRED! I’M HIT! THEY ARE HEADING EA—” The transmission cuts out, and my stomach drops. I grab my radio and call it in. “SD to PD, CODE ONE on last backup.” I do not even think, I just hit the lights and floor it toward the lumberyard. Before I even get there, I can hear automatic gunfire echoing from all directions. Operators from the Special Enforcement Detail arrive at the same time I do and takes control of the area, neutralizing the threats. As soon as it is safe, I rush in to help with life-saving measures. We load the injured into cruisers and start heading toward the hospital. Then, an ambush. I barely have time to react before bullets start flying. I take cover, trying to return fire, but I cannot see where they are coming from. I hear someone scream. Then I see him, my partner. The one I graduated the academy with. The one I went through the field training program with. My best friend. He is hit. A bullet tore through his neck. I drop everything and rush to him, pressing down on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. He gasps for air, eyes wide, hands shaking. I do everything I can, but it is not enough. I will not share his final words here. But I held him until MD arrived and called the time of death.
06:29 AM
I go back 10-8 from the CODE ONE call and set up a speed trap south of the single toll. A Neon flies past, doing 174 in a 145. I flip on my lights and sirens, and they pull over. I check the MDC. The registered owner is a known gang member and violent felon. I call for backup, but there are only two of us on shift, and my backup is still 4.7 miles away. The driver starts getting frustrated, shifting in his seat. Then he reaches for the glove box. I put my hand on my firearm and order him to keep his hands on the wheel. He spits back a handful of profanity and vague threats. Finally, my backup arrives. I issue him a second-degree speeding ticket and return 10-8.
07:01 AM
I key my radio and call it in. “10-9 (Unavailable for Calls), returning to the station.” I pull into the lot, park my cruiser, and step out. I return my equipment, lock my firearms back in the armory, and shut my locker. My shift is over. As I change back into civilian clothes, I glance down at my badge. A drop of blood stains the metal. I do a quick check of myself, no wounds. It is not my blood. It is his.
I let out a deep sigh and head for the door. The night is over. But I already know, tomorrow will be the same thing all over again.
If you think want to join the Los Santos Sheriff Department, you can go to our Recruitment Center, fill an application and a member of our Recruitment and Employment Division will contact you and walk you through the next steps.
Thanks for your time.
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For Information, Contact:
Master Deputy Mason Ross
Senior Communications Relations Deputy, Sheriff's Information Division
[email protected]
Sheriff's Information Division
Los Santos County Sheriff's Department
Procopio Promenade 1, Paleto Bay
Los Santos, SA, 909
