You Did WHAT ????

     From my book, "Blue Lights and Sirens - The Lighter Side of Law Enforcement"

     Officer Hardy had worked as a dispatcher for our department for about 2 years but had his heart set on coming to patrol division.  When the opportunity came, he easily passed all the requirements and soon took his place on our shift fulfilling patrol duties.  But his one minor drawback was that he would often select the wrong word for what he was trying to say.
  
     One particular hot, late August day, a young heifer had escaped from the area stockyard and had made her way onto the very busy 4-lane that passed through our town.  Three of us, including Hardy, responded to try to corral the critter and get her back into the yard.

      For about an hour we chased the frightened animal through snake, mosquito and tick infested woods.  Assisting us were some area cowboys who came with ropes, a local vet and numerous employees of the stockyard; a couple armed with tranquilizer guns.

     The radio cracked with an announcement that the heifer had crossed back over the highway into a dry creek bed.  I ran to my car and went immediately to the area in hopes of driving the critter back toward the yard.  When I called in my position, for the benefit of those assisting, our fine, young, Officer Hardy responded so that everyone with a scanner could hear, " Unit 106 you can discontinue; we have the animal seduced".  It was my hopes that he meant "sedated".