"Hood" Part 1 of 3

"They Called Him 'Hood'"
By Mitch Harris

For three weeks solid it was all the media could talk about. A man who decided that he had seen enough and decided to do something about it. The public was on his side. The media was on his side. The online community was on his side. According to polls 70% of law enforcement was on his side. Depending on who you ask he started when he was a child. There are a few that believe it was more than one person. Some believe he does not even exist.

But he did.

And thank God that he did.

I had the opportunity to interview Lewis Roberts, better known to the public as “Hood”, two weeks into his campaign against crime. After placing ads in this very paper requesting a sit-down discussing who he was and why he began doing what many had considered but never attempted.

(editors note: writer Mitch Harris will be represented by “MH” and Lewis Roberts aka Hood will be LR)

I could barely contain my excitement the night before the meeting. My wife told me that she had not seen me this excited since the birth of our twin boys. My inner geek felt as if I were meeting Batman in the flesh. At 8am (odd crime fighting time if you ask me) a medium built but in shape Black male walks in. Short cut hair, a goatee, and a small diamond earring in his ear. Wearing a gray sweater and dark blue jeans with white sneakers he did not look like a man who instilled fear in the hearts of evil doers. He sat down and shook my hand as we ordered bacon and eggs with coffee for me and orange juice for him.

“Coffee makes me feel nervous” he told me. “Yeah, I know” he laughed. “Fighting some of the most dangerous people in the city doesn’t bug me at all but coffee makes me jittery. The irony isn’t lost on me.”

We both get our meals, eat, and begin talking. Most of the time he cast his eyes away from me and looked out of the window. I assumed it was for crime. Maybe he didn’t like my tie.

MH: Thank you very much for meeting with me. I have to say this is a very strange choice of locations.

LR: Were you expecting a cave or something?

MH: (laughs) Maybe.

LR: I’m just as normal as you.

MH: I’d beg to differ.

LR: I’m for real. I do everything you do. Maybe not as fancy but I’m just a normal guy.

MH: No super powers?

LR: No super powers. I’m no Johnny Panic.

(editors note: Walter Toner better known to the world as Johnny Panic the world’s only superhero)

MH: Have you been hurt? I mean, in your line of work injuries have to be a part of the job.

LR: I wouldn’t call it a “job.” I don’t get paid for this (censored). I just suit up and do what needs to be done. I think more people would do this if they…I don’t know. I would like to think that more people would do this but I haven’t met any of them yet. But, yeah, I’ve been hurt. (rolls up sweater sleeve exposing a large scar on his forearm) Happened when I was starting out. I didn’t know what the (censored) I was doing. Fun trying to explain this to my girlfriend.

MH: You have a girlfriend?

LR: “Behind every great man…” (laughs) I’m kidding.

MH: You are nothing like what I expected. I thought you’d be…

LR: Taller? Bigger? Darker?

MH: No. Meaner. When I heard about you I figured you were an ex-con that had enough. Or madman that needed to be stopped as soon as possible lest you inspire more likeminded sociopaths. No offense.

LR: None taken. I mean, on paper it does sound pretty crazy. Hell, out loud it sounds crazy.

MH: Are you crazy?

LR: If I were I wouldn’t know, right?

MH: Touché. So how did you begin a life of crime fighting?