I can dig it... a couple years back, I was clearing a house after a report of a burglary in progress, in a rather ritzy neighborhood. We make entry through an open door, another team of officers snag the suspect in the back yard, but there's no telling if there's anyone else in the house.
So our intrepid, still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed rookie officer boldly checks each room, sidearm drawn, with his backup covering with shotgun at the low ready. Door after door is searched, with nothing appearing to be disturbed, and no sign of anyone else. Our slightly-disheartened rookie holsters his weapon, his heartbeat slowing, until his partner says "what about the attic?"
After ensuring that noone is holding the ladder up, the officers make entry. Visions of Tunnel Rats in Vietnam flashing through our doughty officer's mind, he proceeds up the ladder, scanning in all directions, peeking behind anything that could provide a suspect cover. His pulse races - THIS is what he signed up for! But alas, no suspect to be found. Dejected, he holsters his weapon and turns on the narrow plywood walkway...
... only to have his footing slip off the edge and for his suddenly-unsupported body to hurtle downwards. He has a moment to consider just how bad this looks before his fall is arrested by a sharp jerk at his shoulder, as his arm chicken-wings one of the crossbeams. Wincing at the sudden pain, our now-bemused rookie looks down to see the debris brought down by his fall still tumbling down the stairs that he almost fell down himself.
His partner pulls him up, laughing, and the two descend the ladder. The pain from the stop still hasn't abated, and is actually getting worse, to where it hurts to move his shoulder. But no worry! Our officer was a Marine, he's tough, he can suck it up... no, no he really can't. After explaining to his Sergeant what happened (much to the 3-striper's horror at just what kind of clusterfuck his charge has perpetrated), EMS is contacted to check the officer out. Whilst waiting, he speaks the family (who was merely relieved that he wasn't hurt worse, and told him not to worry about the damage to their lovely home) and apologises profusely.
After being checked by EMS, the call is made to transport our shamefaced officer to the hospital, given that he's feeling pain 5/10 in his upper back and shoulder area. Whilst enroute, the pain intensifies, but our officer keeps his mouth shut, not wanting to be put in a C-collar. When he tells the doctor it's at 7/10 now, the EMS Lt (who was rather cute, to be honest) proceeds to chew most voraciously upon his true blue ass for putting her at liability.
The TRULY Epic fail here? The "burglar" was the gardener, entering the house with the key provided to him by the family. The best-executed perimeter I have ever see to date (ignoring my own hijinks) was wasted on a bogus call. *headdes*
TL;DR, Officer_Charon fell through a ceiling once.
