Sociopaths are good at investigating - Ch 6 - To Follow the Law, One Can't Be a Police Officer

“… What?”
The old man’s expression twisted at Gyeong-su’s words.
“Why are you lying that you’re going home when you’re not even from this neighborhood? What were you doing here?”
“Wha- What are you talking about? I told you I was heading home!”
“Then why are you saying a business that doesn’t even exist is real?”
“T-That’s…”
At that moment, the radio crackled.
– “Suspect description for case number 2376: height approximately 170 cm, thin build, black top and black pants, wearing white slippers. The slow pace suggests they may be elderly.”
The description matched.
The old man overheard the radio transmission and
“Ugh!”
Immediately turned around and started running.
However, the old man’s unsteady steps weren’t fast, and
Thud-
He was soon caught by Gyeong-su.
“Sir. If a suspect is fleeing from the crime scene, we have no choice but to arrest them. Would you like to get in the patrol car with handcuffs, or just get in normally?”
“Ugh…”
The old man struggled to pull his wrist free but soon stopped resisting.
“… Let’s go.”
He quietly got into the patrol car.
According to internal regulations, I had to sit next to the suspect.
But I didn’t get in and just stared at Gyeong-su as he returned to the driver’s seat.
How did he come up with that trap so quickly?
Where did that idea come from in such a short moment?
When our eyes met, he didn’t boast about his success.
“Inspector Tak, hurry up and get in.”
He quickly got into the patrol car.
*
The old man admitted to his crime once we arrived at the station.
He had seen a similar case on TV where an elderly thief had stolen a lot of money, and that made him want to try it himself.
He claimed this was his first offense and asked for leniency.
But we couldn’t just release him for an attempted theft.
Gyeong-su and I wrote up the theft report and handed the suspect and the report over to the criminal division before returning to the station.
“Great job, Gyeong-su!”
When we entered the office, Deok-gyu greeted Gyeong-su with a bright smile.
“You really made me feel secure by catching that thief.”
His expression was completely different from when he scolded Gyeong-su the day before.
“Seriously, that old man was just unlucky to get caught. What did I really do?”
“No, no. I looked at the report, and you really cornered the suspect with your words. Good job, really.”
It seemed like Deok-gyu was in a really good mood.
As Gyeong-su had said, catching a suspect for a major crime like theft was probably a big boost to Deok-gyu as a team leader.
“Inspector Tak,”
Deok-gyu’s expression suddenly turned serious as he looked at me.
“Learn well from Senior Officer Go. Don’t escalate situations like last time, causing unnecessary trouble.”
And then, with a grunt, he sat heavily in his chair.
“Unnecessary trouble” indeed.
Domestic violence is considered a critical incident in our organization, treated as a zero-tolerance issue.
I didn’t argue with Deok-gyu’s words.
I decided to hold back from saying “You’re wrong.”
It felt frustrating to hold my tongue, but I realized something as I listened to him.
“That person really likes catching thieves.”
I started reflecting on the personalities of the team members as I prepared for my next patrol shift.
*
Two days later, daytime shift.
I arrived at work and briefly greeted the chief, whom I hadn’t met during my last daytime shift.
I asked his name, age, and where he lived before wishing him well in his work. Then, he went up to his office on the second floor.
Gyeong-su told me that since the chief was about to retire, he didn’t really pay much attention to the new staff.
In the morning, there were several reports of drunk people.
The report was that intoxicated individuals who had been drinking all night were passed out on the streets.
When we arrived on the scene, we found a young man sprawled in front of a store.
“Sir—”
“Sir” is a term used by police officers to address any citizen.
When I asked Gyeong-su why he called him “sir,” he explained that if you’re unsure how to address someone, it’s fine to just call them that.
“Sir, please wake up. Are you okay?”
“Damn, what’s this?”
The young man groggily opened his eyes when Gyeong-su woke him up, frowning immediately.
The smell of alcohol hit us.
“Why are there two cops? What did I do wrong?”
“It’s not that. We received a report that you were passed out drunk, so we came to check. If you stay here, you might get hurt…”
“Ah, I’ll leave on my own. Just go.”
“Where do you live? Should we take you home?”
“Ah, just go away. I’m not a criminal, why do I have to get in a patrol car? Damn.”
At those words, Gyeong-su pouted and stepped back.
The young man wobbled to his feet and staggered off, still throwing insults our way.
I watched quietly, then followed him.
“Sir, excuse me.”
I quickly caught up with him.
“Could you please show me your ID?”
“What? Why do you need my ID?”
“I’m going to issue a fine ticket.”
“A fine ticket? What’s that?”
“The one people usually call a ‘sticker.’”
The young man raised his voice.
“What? You’re going to issue me a sticker?”
“Yeah.”
“Is it because I cursed ‘damn’ earlier? I was just talking to myself. Can’t I curse alone?”
“No, that’s not it. You called this officer ‘a cop.’”
By now, Gyeong-su had come over to my side and was trying to stop me.
“Inspector Tak, let’s just go,” he said.
But I didn’t flinch and kept my eyes on the young man.
“So what about calling him a ‘cop’? Is that a crime?”
“There has been a ruling in court where calling someone that is considered defamation. But in this case, since there were no bystanders to hear it, it doesn’t count as defamation. However, under the Minor Offenses Act, it can be considered ‘causing public disturbance.’”
“Causing public disturbance?”
“Engaging in unnecessary arguments or using very harsh language without just cause.”
“Unbelievable.”
The young man snickered and walked toward me.
“So what now?”
“Please show me your ID. I’ll issue the ticket.”
“You want my ID, huh?”
“If you don’t show it and leave the scene, you could be arrested for violating residency laws.”
“What? Arrested? Are you messing with me?”
He clenched his fist and came closer, glaring at me.
I calmly continued speaking.
“Right now, you’re only suspected of violating the Minor Offenses Act, but if you keep acting aggressively, we can arrest you for obstruction of justice.”
“You’re full of it. Did I hit you? I didn’t even touch you, and you’re talking about obstruction…”
“Obstruction of justice includes indirect acts of violence, not just physical assault. Right now, the way you’re glaring at me and clenching your fist is considered an obstruction of justice.”
“What kind of…”
I interrupted him and sharply said,
“If you come any closer, I’ll arrest you for obstruction of justice. This is your only warning.”
“……”

**”Please show me your ID.”**
He hesitated and stood still.
I immediately took out the handcuffs.
“You have refused to show your ID despite being asked several times. I am now arresting you for violating the Minor Offenses Act…”
“Here! Here it is!”
Just as I was about to put the handcuffs on his wrist, he suddenly held out his ID.
“Here’s my ID. Please, just let it slide this time.”
His attitude had changed in just a few seconds.
Seeing his pitiful expression and the way he was bowing, I put the handcuffs back.
“I’ll issue a fine ticket for violating the Minor Offenses Act for causing public disturbance.”
“No handcuffs, right?”
“No. The fine is 50,000 won, and you can pay it through a virtual account or at a nearby bank within 10 days.”
“Thank you!”
“Here’s the ticket.”
I handed him the ticket, and he took it, bowing again to thank me.
After he left, Gyeong-su patted me on the shoulder.
“Wow, that guy will never call the police ‘cops’ again, huh?”
Then he gave me a thumbs-up.
I was curious.
“Why did you stay quiet when that guy was calling us ‘cops’ earlier?”
Gyeong-su sighed and answered.
“That kind of thing happens so often. If you respond to every little thing, you’ll never get any work done. Now, it doesn’t even bother me anymore.”
But I wasn’t bothered by it. I issued the ticket because he had committed an offense.
“If someone breaks the law, shouldn’t they be punished for it?”
“You can’t be a police officer if you want to follow the law to the letter.”
“… What?”
“There are times when you have to let things slide. As you work more, you’ll understand what I mean.”
This was a bit shocking.
For a mentor to say not to follow the law exactly…
Could this really be the right lesson?
Just then,
– “Macheon Hana Sunma, case number 809, theft reported.”
The radio crackled.
I replied with “Chil-pal” and walked toward the patrol car.
At that moment, the previous situation completely vanished from my mind,
“Thief…”
For some reason, my steps quickened.

The Puzzle Pieces in My Mind