“9-1-1, what is your emergency?”

“This is Yuma Police Lieutenant Daniel Elkins, we have a 918 here at the Southwest Border Alliance annex.  One of the agents is shooting people!  Send patrol NOW!”

“Roger. Units are dispatched.  Is there shooting now?”

“YES!  PLEASE HURRY!”

“Units are responding.  What is your location?”

“I’m inside the annex.  The 918 is Deputy Jack Hudson.  He’s shooting DPS Sgt. Michael Crowe and our evidence custodian, Jim Ehrhart.  Please hurry.”

“Units are on their way.  Are you still there?”

After Jack Hudson fired his final shot at Mike Crowe he turned to go back into the building to hunt for Lt. Elkins.  Elkins had just hung up with the 9-1-1 operator and, from evidence later found around his dead body, had formulated a desperate plan to defend himself inside a dead-end maze of office cubicles, completely unarmed, and soon to be facing a heavily-armed man who had been extensively-trained in the use of lethal force.

Elkins took off his shoes and placed them behind a cubicle screen.   Perhaps, Elkins hoped that his shoes would be noticed by Hudson as he approached where Elkins was now positioned and cause a momentary distraction that the trapped man could use to his advantage.  As he waited and listened, Elkins made one more whispered call to 9-1-1.

“9-1-1, what is your emergency.”

“This is Dan Elkins.  How soon until units arrive at SBA?”

“They should be there very soon.”

“Oh Jesus!  I hear him . . .”

“Dan!  Are you still there?”

Jack Hudson was thirty two years old, a former United States Marine and also a well-trained deputy sheriff in the prime of his physical conditioning, at the moment he hunted the annex building for Dan Elkins who was 49 years old and developing a middle aged spread on his once tight abdomen.   The ultimate struggle between the two men was over almost as soon as it began.  The state’s pathologist later found some defensive wounds on Elkins’ hands to indicate that he had at least momentarily grappled with his assailant.   But Jack Hudson’s body bore no sign of any struggle with anyone.  Elkins’ body bore a number of bullet wounds, a couple of which were mortal.  One on the middle of his back included the hot gunpowder speckled pattern that meant that the gun’s muzzle had been pressed against the skin when the shot was fired.  

Lt. Daniel Elkins had the only slightest hint of a pulse just a few minutes later when Yuma Police Sergeant Cindy Anderson and Officer Rodriguez desperately performed emergency CPR on their already-dead friend.