So I'm watching a movie at home with the wife, around 9:00 last night. Suddenly, there's a spotlight coming in our window, which is quite bright even through our blinds.

I look outside, and there's two police cars, a police motorcycle, and a firetruck with it's huge spotlight shining in my living room window. And a Schwan's truck, and another similar truck parked a little ways down the street. The motorcycle cop is directing traffic around the parked vehicles, while several cops and firemen with metal detectors are sweeping up the street with flashlights?

Anybody have any idea what was going on?

Meth bust? Certainly wouldn't rule that out in rural Missouri.

Or even a moonshine bust!!!!

I should have clarified. Across from my house is an open field. No houses in any direction on that side of the street for at least a block. The police weren't going into any houses, or into the field - just going up and down the street with what appeared to be metal detectors.

They are looking for buried pirate treasure -- who doesn't?

Did you check the police bulletins? I think those are public avilable online somewhere. I know I had to research accident bulletins a few years back when I took drivers ed.

why didnt you just go ask?
it was something sensitive, they would have told you so, and it obviously wasnt anything big enough to warrant evacuating your house, so i assume it would have been safe to approach and speak with them.

the easiest way to find things out is to ask.

Mabey it was a wreck and they were trying to find debris to prevent flat tires.

now THAT would be some compassionate cops

They should have started with the drill bit that I ran over last night on I-635 in Kansas City.

635 isn't that bad, 35 is usually worse. But then again, better for me and mine, as I work in construction.

It may not be bad traffic wise, but that drill bit cost me 1.5 hours of my life and about $80 between the replacement tire (yay for absentmindedly buying road hazard coverage) and to pay the tow truck company to put my spare on.

...payed someone to put on your spare? whats wrong with you?

did the tire BLOW or did it just get a hole that leaked when the bit was pulled out? ya know they do make tire patches that any tire shop should have, stick em in, twist and pull out

It blew out. I was driving on the interstate. Tire went flat. I pulled over on a bridge (my choices were pull over on the bridge or pull over in a work zone and block a lane of trafic). It was 10pm. The bridge didn't have any streetlights. Even the guy who came didn't want to change it on the bridge; he towed me to the next exit and changed it in a well lit parking lot.

I drove to Firestone the next morning and when they fixed it they said it was a drill bit that caused it.

thats crazy, i think i went by some cops and firetrucks going towards that scene you described the other day. It was freaky driving past all of them at once.