Back when I was a young officer the Chief "ASKED" if I minded him riding along with me on the midnight shift. Of course I could only say "sure". AS we were riding on the midnight shift we received a call of a "peeping tom" and responded to the call.When we arrived at the call the complainant stated that someone had been looking in the kitchen window at his wife while she was washing her hair. It was quite muddy as it had been raining for a day or so and I told the Chief I would walk back behind the house and take a look as that was where the kitchen window was. When I arrived at the back of the house I observed some muddy foot prints leading away from the house into a big muddy field behind the house. I also happened to look in the window as the curtains were open and observing the complaints wife, in her bra still washing her hair I understood why the peeping tom was looking. I beat a hasty retreat around the house and reported that there was footprints leading away from the house and towards an old rundown house about 1/4 mile from where we were at. Being a young officer I thought the suspect was probably staying in the house that was almost tore down.
The Chief agreed with me and we drove to where we could walk up to the house. As we approached the house we noticed that it did not have steps but that there was a big log in front of the porch that we could step up on. The Cheif slogged around and reported that there was no back door and the windows were boarded up so that the only way in and out was thru the front door.
Being somewhat, at that time younger than the Chief I asked if he had a problem with me going into the house and he could back me up. He had no problem with that and as I stepped on the log I heard what I thought was a mountain lion in the house. I jumped off the log and the screaching got much louder. In reflex I jumped back knocking the Chief into the mud and stepping on him as I was trying to back up.
What had happened was there was a big cat under the log and when I stepped on the log, the log mashed the cats tail and he let out a terrible scream. Not only did I step on the Chief but the cat ran across the Chief also, I picked him out of the mud and he laughed and said that was the most funny thing he had ever saw until I knocked him into the mud and stepped on him trying to get a way from the "mountain lion".
I worked for the Chief for about 5 years and he would never let me forget that call and told everyone about it when we were around other officers. And after 30 years thats my only two cat stories.
The Chief