Q.) You are currently a Columbus Police Officer. How long have you been on the force, and what inspired you to become a policeman?
A.) I've been on CPD for about six years now. After college, I bounced around in a couple of different jobs but couldn't find anything that gave me personal satisfaction in what I was doing. I was bored, and figured out pretty quickly that I still needed some excitement every now and then. I also missed being part of a team and having
camaraderie. I definitely found all of that and more with CPD.
Q.) What is your craziest story while on the job?
A.) Last May myself and other officers I work with responded to a report of a home invasion. The caller said that the suspect kicked in the back door of a residence and had a gun in each hand. When we got there, the suspect broke out the front window of the house and started shooting at us. I shot back at him, and he retreated back inside the house. He kept shooting through the walls at us from deep inside the house but we couldn't see from where. Before we arrived, we knew from the caller that a woman and her two young kids lived in that house, so we couldn't just randomly fire back into the house where we couldn't see who we were shooting at. So he was barricaded inside the
house for several minutes and eventually decided to throw himself out of a second story window once he ran out of ammo. He survived of course, and now is currently awaiting trial.
Q.) There are many police "reality" tv shows on television right now. What show or movie do you feel best resembles your day-to-day duties? Please say Reno 911...
A.) Ha I wish! Believe it or not, I thought the recent movie "End of Watch" with Jake
Gyllenhall was really well done. The final shootout scene in the movie is pretty
Hollywood, but all of the other scenes in the movie I thought were realistic to
what it's like patrolling an inner city area. With most of the scenes, I've
either directly experienced similar runs or I work with people who have. I
thought it did a good job of showing how we interact with each other. My partner
and I joke around all the time in the cruiser with each other just like the two
main characters in the movie.
Q.) What is the biggest struggle you face as a Police Officer?
A.) We go on so many runs every day where people are arguing and can't get along. Whether it's a married couple, roommates, neighbor disputes, or people can't control their kids so they call the police. I never mind the dangerous runs, but it's the amount of
petty stuff we have to deal with too that gets old quick.
Q.) You played football at Ohio Wesleyan from 2000-2002. Why did you choose OWU?
A.) I originally was going to play at Mount Union, but that didn't work out. I came home and did the Columbus State thing for a year. The OWU coaches heard I was back home and not playing, so they contacted me. I was missing football pretty bad at that point so I went there and played for three years and it worked out well.
Q.) What is your favorite Hilliard football memory?
A.) For me it was the very first varsity game I played in against Grove City my sophomore year ('96). It was the first game of the season, and it was at home. I was on the kickoff return team in the middle row. We won the toss, and I realized I was going out there on the first play of the season. When we came out of the locker room the stands were packed on both sides and the place was rocking! I remember the hair
standing up on the back of my neck. Grove City kicked off, and I dropped back to help
set the wedge. I put a hard hit on their wedge buster and took him to the ground. I just remember looking up and watching Durance Mitchell taking it to the house! Right up the middle! 99 yards! The whole place went nuts! It was awesome! I'll never forget that feeling. (Click here for video of this school record kickoff return)
Q.) You were part of the first Hilliard High School split. How was your experience during the transition? Do you feel the split immediately affected the football team?
A.) It was difficult for me because I was supposed to go to Darby. But I grew up my entire life wanting to be a Wildcat, and after starting most of the season as a sophomore, there was no way I was giving that up. I think the biggest immediate impact the split had on us was depth. We really couldn't afford to have any major injuries after the split.
Q.) Tell me a good Coach Sines story.
A.) During my Junior year (1997) we were undefeated and were getting ready to play Westland who was also undefeated. It was a Wednesday, and that day was our last day in pads for the week until Friday night. Wednesday practices were always up tempo and everything had to go crisp and error free. Well that Wednesday the starting offense was just doing horrible. We were jumping off sides, fumbling the football, dropping passes against the scout team. We were flat out doing terrible for such a big game looming. Well Coach Sines had decided that he'd seen enough and kicked the entire starting offense out of practice. And when I mean we got kicked out of practice, I mean he literally chased us off the practice field! Yelling, screaming, spitting and throwing anything he could find at us! We sprinted the entire way from the practice field into the locker room with Coach Sines right behind us! We made it inside the locker room and thought it was over. Sure
enough, as soon as we started to regroup that locker room door slammed open and
chairs went flying everywhere! Not only did he kick us out of practice, but he kicked us out of the locker room too! We ran out the back door of the locker room and into the parking lot! The message was loud and clear and we came back the next day ready to go. We ended up beating Westland and Coach getting our heads on straight that Wednesday was probably the reason why.
Q.) Did you have a favorite Hilliard "hot spot" growing up?
A.) I really can't remember! Isn't that terrible????? I guess I would have to say Dairy Queen, Luigi's Pizza or the pool.
Q.) If you could give advice to the current Davidson team what would it be?
A.) I don't think as a team I can give them any advise. They've been doing everything
the right way for a long time, and I'm real proud of them. Keep doing what you're doing and follow Coach White!
A.) I've been on CPD for about six years now. After college, I bounced around in a couple of different jobs but couldn't find anything that gave me personal satisfaction in what I was doing. I was bored, and figured out pretty quickly that I still needed some excitement every now and then. I also missed being part of a team and having
camaraderie. I definitely found all of that and more with CPD.
Q.) What is your craziest story while on the job?
A.) Last May myself and other officers I work with responded to a report of a home invasion. The caller said that the suspect kicked in the back door of a residence and had a gun in each hand. When we got there, the suspect broke out the front window of the house and started shooting at us. I shot back at him, and he retreated back inside the house. He kept shooting through the walls at us from deep inside the house but we couldn't see from where. Before we arrived, we knew from the caller that a woman and her two young kids lived in that house, so we couldn't just randomly fire back into the house where we couldn't see who we were shooting at. So he was barricaded inside the
house for several minutes and eventually decided to throw himself out of a second story window once he ran out of ammo. He survived of course, and now is currently awaiting trial.
Q.) There are many police "reality" tv shows on television right now. What show or movie do you feel best resembles your day-to-day duties? Please say Reno 911...
A.) Ha I wish! Believe it or not, I thought the recent movie "End of Watch" with Jake
Gyllenhall was really well done. The final shootout scene in the movie is pretty
Hollywood, but all of the other scenes in the movie I thought were realistic to
what it's like patrolling an inner city area. With most of the scenes, I've
either directly experienced similar runs or I work with people who have. I
thought it did a good job of showing how we interact with each other. My partner
and I joke around all the time in the cruiser with each other just like the two
main characters in the movie.
Q.) What is the biggest struggle you face as a Police Officer?
A.) We go on so many runs every day where people are arguing and can't get along. Whether it's a married couple, roommates, neighbor disputes, or people can't control their kids so they call the police. I never mind the dangerous runs, but it's the amount of
petty stuff we have to deal with too that gets old quick.
Q.) You played football at Ohio Wesleyan from 2000-2002. Why did you choose OWU?
A.) I originally was going to play at Mount Union, but that didn't work out. I came home and did the Columbus State thing for a year. The OWU coaches heard I was back home and not playing, so they contacted me. I was missing football pretty bad at that point so I went there and played for three years and it worked out well.
Q.) What is your favorite Hilliard football memory?
A.) For me it was the very first varsity game I played in against Grove City my sophomore year ('96). It was the first game of the season, and it was at home. I was on the kickoff return team in the middle row. We won the toss, and I realized I was going out there on the first play of the season. When we came out of the locker room the stands were packed on both sides and the place was rocking! I remember the hair
standing up on the back of my neck. Grove City kicked off, and I dropped back to help
set the wedge. I put a hard hit on their wedge buster and took him to the ground. I just remember looking up and watching Durance Mitchell taking it to the house! Right up the middle! 99 yards! The whole place went nuts! It was awesome! I'll never forget that feeling. (Click here for video of this school record kickoff return)
Q.) You were part of the first Hilliard High School split. How was your experience during the transition? Do you feel the split immediately affected the football team?
A.) It was difficult for me because I was supposed to go to Darby. But I grew up my entire life wanting to be a Wildcat, and after starting most of the season as a sophomore, there was no way I was giving that up. I think the biggest immediate impact the split had on us was depth. We really couldn't afford to have any major injuries after the split.
Q.) Tell me a good Coach Sines story.
A.) During my Junior year (1997) we were undefeated and were getting ready to play Westland who was also undefeated. It was a Wednesday, and that day was our last day in pads for the week until Friday night. Wednesday practices were always up tempo and everything had to go crisp and error free. Well that Wednesday the starting offense was just doing horrible. We were jumping off sides, fumbling the football, dropping passes against the scout team. We were flat out doing terrible for such a big game looming. Well Coach Sines had decided that he'd seen enough and kicked the entire starting offense out of practice. And when I mean we got kicked out of practice, I mean he literally chased us off the practice field! Yelling, screaming, spitting and throwing anything he could find at us! We sprinted the entire way from the practice field into the locker room with Coach Sines right behind us! We made it inside the locker room and thought it was over. Sure
enough, as soon as we started to regroup that locker room door slammed open and
chairs went flying everywhere! Not only did he kick us out of practice, but he kicked us out of the locker room too! We ran out the back door of the locker room and into the parking lot! The message was loud and clear and we came back the next day ready to go. We ended up beating Westland and Coach getting our heads on straight that Wednesday was probably the reason why.
Q.) Did you have a favorite Hilliard "hot spot" growing up?
A.) I really can't remember! Isn't that terrible????? I guess I would have to say Dairy Queen, Luigi's Pizza or the pool.
Q.) If you could give advice to the current Davidson team what would it be?
A.) I don't think as a team I can give them any advise. They've been doing everything
the right way for a long time, and I'm real proud of them. Keep doing what you're doing and follow Coach White!