Brutalization

'A very good story that gets as close as possible to the reality of being a cop'

Peter, Danish police officer

When 23-year-old Allan Schleppegrell is accepted into police school, it's a dream come true. A chance to become a kind, compassionate police officer like the one he idolized as a child and to make the world a better place.

At the busy Station Charlie in downtown Copenhagen, Allan gets the opportunity to patrol with one of the station's legendary officers, who is strong, charismatic, and willing to get the job done by any means necessary. 

As Allan is pulled deeper into the darker aspects of police work, he finds himself faced with the question: Does he really have what it takes to be a perfect cop?

'Allan immediately tore the door open, jumped out of the car, and held the guy by the back of his neck with one hand, grabbing him by the throat with the other. Fighting to get free, the guy shook his head, making his thin blond hair sway from side to side, but it was no use. Allan had gotten a good, firm grip, and he managed to push the guy up against a wall before he found himself staring into a pair of blue and unnaturally wide eyes. He felt the panic spread through his body, and the eye contact felt like it lasted an eternity. What was he supposed to do now?'

The author - Erik Djernaes Hansen

I've been a Danish police officer for more than 25 years, and in 2018 I finished a master's degree in criminology from Cambridge University. For several years I worked in Copenhagen as a uniformed officer or undercover investigating drug crimes. For the last 14 years, I've been teaching use-of-force training at the Danish police school.

Brutalization is my debut novel, and it's inspired by the American movie Training Day and my many years as a police officer. My intention was to wrap a serious point in a good story—enjoy.