Law Enforcement Talk: True Crime and Trauma Stories – “Police in a Riot: An Officer Speaks. Special Episode.”

Host: John "Jay" Wiley (Retired Baltimore Police Sergeant)
Guest: Bill Broadway (Former Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Officer, North Carolina)
Release Date: December 31, 2025

Overview of the Episode’s Main Theme

This special episode offers a rare, first-person account from Bill Broadway, a young police officer thrust into the chaos and trauma of a large-scale violent riot in Charlotte, North Carolina, just ten weeks after completing field training. The conversation exposes the stark realities officers face in such incidents, the misinformation that feeds public unrest, and the long-term mental health implications of traumatic events. The episode goes behind the headlines, tracing the human experience of policing amid social upheaval.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Charlotte, the Context, and a Young Officer’s Introduction to Policing

• Bill Broadway describes starting with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department in 2016, a top-20 U.S. city police department covering nearly a million residents ([02:14–03:32]).
• He was still considered a rookie, only ten weeks past field training, when an officer-involved shooting lit the fuse for multi-night riots ([04:07–04:16]).
• Charlotte often flies “under the radar” despite being a major city with significant crime ([03:32], Wiley).

2. The Officer-Involved Shooting and Public Reaction

• The incident: A specialized police unit, while serving a warrant, confronted a subject who allegedly brandished a firearm and was fatally shot. All investigations later cleared involved officers ([05:00–06:45], Broadway).
• Immediate misinformation swirled: Social media and news outlets amplified claims the man was “reading a book” when shot, igniting outrage ([06:45–07:08]).
  • Quote: “The public got the narrative within hours that he was sitting in his car reading his book… and he was executed by police.” – Bill Broadway [06:45]
• The effect of misinformation and media sensationalism was a key theme.
  • Quote: “What they're done is they're done to inflame opinion and create controversy so that people will buy the newspaper...” – John J. Wiley [07:08]

3. Police on the Front Lines: From Roll Call to Riot

• Notice of unrest came during a shift roll call, with supervisors warning of growing tensions at the shooting scene ([12:06–12:40]).
  • Broadway, fresh from field training, described being “scared” and confused as real-time events dictated rapid, high-stress mobilization ([13:44–17:55]).
• Officers suited up with riot gear (helmets, protective pads) and were dispatched—often with little training (“a day or two” on crowd control) ([20:20–20:32]).
  • Quote: “I don't think you ever have enough training to deal with that. If I'm being 100% honest, that was more chaos than I was ready for.” – Bill Broadway [20:32]
• All police vehicles were moved away from the scene to prevent destruction, leaving officers physically exposed and psychologically isolated ([13:28–15:19]).

4. The Riot: Physical Danger and Chaos

• Officers faced a hostile, outnumbering crowd: rocks from railroad beds, full water bottles, and bottles of beer hurled; aggressive behavior, spitting, and taunts aimed at the police ([17:31–22:46]).
  • Quote: “We're surrounded. We're getting stuff thrown at us. It's dark. I'm 10 weeks out of the academy. It's the most scared I've ever been in my life.” – Bill Broadway [17:55]
• Minimal ability to defend or retreat: “Your hands are tied, aren’t they?” asked Wiley. “Oh yeah. We were... so outnumbered that there's nothing we could do.” – Broadway ([21:52–21:59])

5. The Psychological Toll in Real Time

• The lack of escape (no vehicles), unclear plans, and being outnumbered fed a long, exhausting “adrenaline dump,” with the body “in survival mode” ([23:05–24:15]).
  • Quote: “I'm just. Fortunately I was being told what to do because I don't know if I could have thought for myself, honestly, just the way the adrenaline was going.” – Bill Broadway [24:15]
• Physical injuries: Multiple officers—including supervisors—were hit and injured by rocks and heavy bottles ([26:39–27:35]).

6. Tactics and the Turning Point

• Eventually, police deployed with shields and chemical munitions (tear gas), dispersing the crowd but forcing chaos onto highways and businesses ([29:50–31:40]).
  • Quote: “In this case…once they started deploying the tear gas… it was like the best awful feeling ever because I knew at that point we were going to be safe, we were going to survive the night.” – Bill Broadway [30:52]
• The psychological effect of support: The arrival of the helicopter and its spotlight provided relief and “the first time it started feeling like, all right, let’s breathe, let’s get through this” ([29:50–32:41]).

7. Aftermath and the Hidden Cost of Trauma

• Multi-night exposure: The unrest led to nights of violence, fear, and minimal rest, with cumulative stress ([33:03–33:38]).
• Broadway describes post-incident stress reactions: immediately after he only slept, but soon nightmares and anxiety bubbled up ([33:45–34:54]).
  • Quote: “My brain started trying to process everything… and that’s when, like, I remember distinctly having a dream about a police situation...my wife is waking me up and she’s like, 'Is everything okay?'” – Bill Broadway [34:54]
• Variability in trauma impact—some colleagues left policing after similar experiences, unable to cope with cumulative trauma ([36:25–37:00]).
  • Quote: “A guy in my bike squad during the George Floyd protest… as soon as they were done, he quit. He was done because he just couldn't deal with the trauma. And I get it.” – Bill Broadway [36:25]

8. Resilience, Recovery, and Advice

• Proper sleep, physical fitness, and time helped Broadway regain equilibrium. He advocates for officer wellness through nutrition and exercise to buffer against job-related mental stress ([37:30–37:57]).
• The episode ends with light-hearted recognition of his memorable last name “Bill Broadway,” but the tone remains grounded in realism and community ([38:18–38:27]).

Memorable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• The Power of False Narratives:
  “He was mine, his own business, and the police executed him. So that went out on social media and it just caught fire…”
  — Bill Broadway [06:54]

• On the Reality of Riot Response:
  “We're just kind of like, well, that rock hit me in the arm. Moving on to the next one to try not get hit by the next one. So yeah, we're just playing defense at that point.”
  — Bill Broadway [27:35]

• On “the Best Awful Feeling Ever”:
  “Once they started deploying the tear gas… it was like the best awful feeling ever because I knew at that point we were going to be safe, we were going to survive the night.”
  — Bill Broadway [30:52]

• On Trauma’s Aftermath:
  “I remember distinctly having a dream about a police situation... My wife is waking me up and she's like, ‘Is everything okay?’ I'm like, 'Oh yeah, it's just having a weird dream...'”
  — Bill Broadway [34:54]

• On Coping Mechanisms:
  “A good fitness and nutrition regimen are key to both physical and mental wellness.”
  — Bill Broadway [37:57]

Important Timestamps

• Introduction & Officer Background: [00:49–03:32]
• Officer-Involved Shooting & Riot Catalyst: [04:07–07:49]
• Roll Call to Riot Mobilization: [12:06–15:19]
• First Moments at the Riot Scene: [15:50–17:55]
• Physical & Psychological Impact: [21:46–24:15]
• Arrival of Support, Turning Point: [29:50–31:40]
• Aftermath: Trauma & Recovery: [33:45–37:57]

Concluding Notes

• Bill Broadway’s Instagram: [37:30] “Broadway41” – He’s focusing on fitness and nutrition for first responders.
• Host’s Wrap-Up:
  “The working out for me… it’s mentally therapeutic as much as it is physical.” – John J. Wiley

Episode Takeaways

• First-hand accounts dispel myths and humanize police facing riot situations.
• Institutional, public, and media dynamics often exacerbate already volatile crises.
• The trauma from frontline policing is real, long-lasting, and profoundly individual.
• Peer and command support, adequate training, and post-incident wellness are critical.

This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to understand the officer’s experience beyond the headlines—a mix of adrenaline, confusion, fear, procedural gaps, and post-event struggle, relayed with raw honesty and professionalism.