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In this episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast bonus series, retired Milwaukee Police Sergeant Patrick O'Donnell reads Chapter 31, "All-City Assist," from his upcoming book:

Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos, & Life as a Big City Cop

Rachel and Patrick are processing a routine arrest at District Five when the radio crackles to life: "245B, they're shooting at us! Send us more squads!"

It's Grace—Rachel's old partner—getting shot at in a gangway next to the Blues Oasis Tavern. The dispatcher opens the channel citywide: "Any squad, assist the officers. They are taking gunfire."

An all-city assist. Every cop drops everything and responds.

When Rachel and Patrick arrive, they find three dead bodies, cops returning fire in a gangway, and a suspect shooting at officers with a .357 Magnum. Inside the tavern, they clear a dark basement not knowing if someone is waiting to shoot them. When they come back upstairs, Patrick looks down and sees a sea of bullet casings—more than he'd ever seen in 25 years.

Three people are dead. Cops were almost killed. And a short blurb on the evening news.

All stories are real. Names and locations have been changed where necessary.

⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence, active shooter scenarios, and multiple deaths. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

🎧 This episode includes:

• What "all-city assist" means
• Grace's voice screaming over the radio: "They're shooting at us!"
• The suspect with a .357 Magnum, pretending to surrender while shooting at cops
• A bullet ricocheting off bricks and shattering a cop's glasses
• The Marine who calmly requested backup as if he was "ordering a pizza"
• Patrick tripping over the first body in the gutter
• Two dead victims inside—one still holding his Budweiser
• Auditory exclusion, tunnel vision, and the fight-or-flight response
• Rachel and Patrick clearing a dark basement: "You're going too fast!" "You're going too slow!"
• A sea of bullet casings covered the floor
• "Swede" tearing the suspect off a fence and crushing his collarbone
• Choir practice at Rookies—cops using popcorn and glasses to replay the scene
• Going home to a family who had no idea what had just happened
• A short blurb on the evening news—three dead, but the public never knew the full story

📘 About the Book:
Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos, & Life as a Big City Cop is a true crime memoir chronicling Patrick O'Donnell's early career as a big city cop during Milwaukee's crack wars in the 1990s.

Book Release: Mid-March 2026
Book Update: The manuscript is with the editor! Pre-orders are LIVE on Amazon. The book is currently a #1 New Release in the Biographies of Law Enforcement category.

🔗 Pre-order now: Search "Police Stories: The Rookie Years Patrick O'Donnell" on Amazon or check the link below.

📧 Contact Patrick:
Email: sarge@copsandwriters.com
Website: copsandwriters.com
Facebook Group: Cops and Writers

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