UPD officer recounts her day before and after Tuesday's tragedy
| Allison Davis has been an officer at the University Police Department
for a year.
Undoubtedly, Tuesday was her most harrowing day at work so far. 6 a.m. -- Allison Davis awoke and began getting her children ready for school. 7:30 a.m. -- Davis' third-grade daughter and fifth-grade son caught the bus to Westside Elementary School. 8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. -- Davis performed her daily house cleaning; then she sat down to watch "Mr. Rogers" with her 3-year-old son. Davis and her son watched "The Price is Right" until 11 a.m. Noon -- While watching "All My Children," Davis began folding laundry. Her son was asleep, snoring on the couch. When Davis' husband called, she turned on the police scanner. "I heard ÔWestside' at about 12:50 p.m.," Davis said. "So I listened in." About 12:30 p.m. -- A fire alarm had gone off in the Westside Middle School. As the children exited, two Westside Middle School students, ages 11 and 13, allegedly fired at the children from the woods north of the school. Thirteen students and two teachers fell dead or injured. "I went ballistic," she said. Davis said her husband, a paramedic at the scene, told her he would call and let her know if their kids were okay. "It shocked me," Davis said. "You don't ever think of things like this happening." 1:30 p.m. -- Davis had dressed and was ready for work. 1:45 p.m. -- Davis' husband called and said their children were unharmed. Davis made a loop around the neighborhood, relaying news about the welfare of other children, Davis said. "It just goes to show it can happen anywhere," Davis said. "I feel for the parents. I can't imagine kissing my kids goodbye and not seeing them again." 2:45 p.m. -- Davis arrived at the UPD to begin her shift. She said 11 ambulances were at Westside Middle School. "I had rather be the parent of an injured or fatally wounded child than the parent of an 11-year-old who pulled the trigger," Davis said. 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. -- Davis was on patrol outside of the Convocation Center, acting as a guard against the media. Her husband was inside at a disaster diffusion debriefing with other paramedics and emergency medical technicians who were at the scene. 8:30 p.m. -- Standing in front of the Dean B. Ellis Library with the other mourners at the candlelight vigil, Davis cried. 11 p.m. -- Davis' shift ended. Davis said she wants to encourage the college community and all of Jonesboro to pull together. "It will take everyone working together to get through this," Davis said. |