On February 7, 2008, Kirkwood City Hall became the scene of a tragedy that shook St. Louis and the nation. Cookie Thornton opened fire during a city council meeting, killing six people before being shot and killed by responding police officers.In this powerful episode, we sit down with John Hessel, Kirkwood’s longtime City Attorney, who was inside the council chambers when the shooting began.John walks us through what led up to that day—years of escalating conflict tied to the Meacham Park redevelopment, court battles, public meetings, and warning signs that, in hindsight, are impossible to ignore. He then recounts the moment everything changed, what he saw firsthand, how he survived, and what it took to live with the aftermath.This is a raw, respectful, first-person account of a tragedy that left a permanent mark on a community—told by someone who lived it, and honoring the victims and the law enforcement officers who ran toward danger.Communities that support law enforcement are safer places to live.#TheBrighterSideOfBlue #PolicePodcast #LawEnforcement #TrueCrime #BehindTheBadge #PoliceStories #Kirkwood #KirkwoodCityHall

The boys kick things off from our Florida studio with a full house and a few familiar faces, easing into some classic banter and a recap of a few vacation mishaps that prove you probably shouldn’t let retired cops near plumbing, shower knobs, or grocery stores.From there, we react to a recent article ranking the Top 10 police departments to work for in the St. Louis area, breaking it down the only way we know how — honest, opinionated, and with plenty of laughs. We’re also joined by Chief Joe Spiess, who stops by to accept a very official (and slightly uncomfortable) award after his department landed at the top of the list.Then we get into something big.We were recently asked by a national communications company to record a pilot episode, and you’ll hear that pilot in this show. In it, each of us shares the episodes and stories that meant the most to us — the ones that stuck, the ones that shaped the show, and the ones that remind us why we started doing this in the first place.Now we want to hear from you.Give the pilot a listen and let us know how we did — the pacing, the flow, the production, and the overall feel. All feedback is welcome, and we appreciate every comment.As always, thank you for supporting the show and helping us keep the stories alive.Communities that support law enforcement are safer places to live.#TheBrighterSideOfBlue #PolicePodcast #LawEnforcement#TrueCrime #BehindTheBadge #PoliceStories

It’s New Year’s in St. Louis and the guys open with cashew chicken, car theft, and “fun without guns” before turning to one of the city’s most haunting cases. Retired SLMPD Homicide Detective Tommy Carroll joins us to walk through his first big case: the 1996 school-bus murder of 15-year-old Beaumont student Kyunia Taylor, six months pregnant with her daughter Diamond.

Tommy takes us inside the chaos at College & Garrison, the pressure on the department, a false confession that nearly derailed everything, the rare Russian 9mm that broke the case, and how a routine gun-and-dope arrest in Wellston finally tied shooter Malik Nettles back to mastermind Mark Boyd. It’s a hard story about evil decisions, great detective work, and a family that never stopped hurting—told by a cop who was there. The Brighter Side of Blue—St. Louis stories from the men and women who wear the badge, recorded at Colombo’s Café in Dogtown. Communities that support law enforcement are safer places to live