STORY
BEHIND THE POEM PIGEON HUNTERS
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Tan Tran is a muscular Vietnamese
officer, who grew up in Viet Nam just after the war. Tan has a reputation
as a tough but fair officer and drug dealers literally turn and run when
they see him coming. Tan has no respect or mercy towards drug dealers
and does his best to put them out of business. Tan is sometimes nicknamed
“Tiger” because of his passion for golf.
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Darren Hall is newly graduated
from the Academy. The standard refrain from veteran officers is that
the new graduates are the “kinder gentler breed”.
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One day while working patrol,
Tan and Darren were driving down one of the alleys of skid road, when a
pigeon flew right into the front grill of their car. The poor thing
was critically injured. Tan and Darren got out of the car and could
see the mortally wounded bird flapping around the lane.
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Tan the supposedly tough
one in the car, was quite moved by the plight of the bird and was talking
and cooing to it. He wanted to cover up the bird and try to take
it to the SPCA. It really wasn’t an option though because it was
so badly hurt. The only humane thing would be to put the bird out
of its misery.
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Tan with his soft heart
couldn’t bear to do it, so Darren pulled out his ASP (an expandable metal
baton we carry) and with one quick blow, ended the suffering. Tan
was heartbroken. Darren meanwhile walked down the lane, bird in hand,
and unable to find a better spot, tossed it in the nearest dumpster.
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