Munster Police Explorer Bryan Buck (left), 18, of St. John, Ind., works on an activity with Jeff Cook, 21, of Munster, Ind., during the Munster Police Explorers meeting held at the Munster Police Station, Wednesday, September 22, 2004. Cook is the chief of the Munster Police Explorers, and has been with the group for four years.

Before I knew it, I was completely out of breath, chasing a criminal with officers between houses as a police helicopter hovered loudly overhead. I had to hop three chain link fences before I caught up with them, my cameras flailing wildly at my sides. A snarling K9 unit dripped saliva onto the grass just near the criminal as officers pinned him down with their knees and applied the cuffs. Flashlights darted around the yard and flared my lens with beautiful blue and purple hues. As I framed the criminal’s face in my viewfinder, he smiled at me through bloody teeth and muttered, “Your deadline is in a few minutes, make sure to file this one first.”

This is, at least, how I imagined my first editorial assignment ever for The Post-Tribune was going to go with The Munster Police Explorers back in 2004. The group gave students with an interest in law enforcement the chance to shadow officers in real-world scenarios. The assignment seemed ripe with visual possibilities, and I was excited to show up early and begin documenting the evening’s activities! I could only imagine what I’d be photographing. Explorers brushing up on marksmanship with service revolvers at the range? Fingerprinting hardened criminals in lock-down? Practicing evasive driving maneuvers?

As it turns out, on the day I was assigned to photograph the group, they were embarking on exciting