Ronald Berkshire

[Ronald]

Name Ronald Eugene Berkshire
Nicknames: Ron, Ronnie, Berk, and Berserk
Race: Human
Occupation: Detective for the LAPD narcotics division
Gender: Male
Skin Color: Caucasian with a light tan
Age: 32
Clothing Like all other LAPD officers, Ron has a standard uniform, but he hardly ever wears it, given his position in the department. Practicality and comfort are key, as is the ability to blend in, so bright colors are generally a no…unless he can get away with it. A typical outfit would consist of a pair of blue jeans or slacks, various t-shirts, heavy boots, and perhaps a blazer. He also owns two jackets, a dark-brown leather bike jacket at work, and an ankle-length cloth duster, in black, when off duty. His official ID badge is kept in a small black wallet in his black pocket, and the other is normally clipped to his belt. Ron has also been known to wear the sort of old-style fedoras, and has a few in various colors.

Height: 5’10”
Weight: 179lbs
Tattoos None
Piercings: One in his left ear
Jewellery: Hemp necklace with small glass beads woven into it.

Body Modifications: Fairly large scar cutting diagonally across his left shoulderblade from a knife wound that he received during a raid.

Hair
Length: A good four or five inches; a bit shorter around his ears and the back of his neck.
Style: A sort of stylized bedhead. Nowhere near as haphazard as Sgt. Tyler, but it’s getting there.
Color: Strawberry-blonde

Facial Hair
Length: Normally no more than a day’s stubble, but he did have a good inch or two of beard for a few weeks.
Style: Currently clean-shaven

Eyes
Color: Hazel-ish – green/grey/blue, depending on the lighting
Oddities: N/A

Personality: Ron isn’t so serious as some of his fellow officers and is actually known around the department for being a little silly; they don’t call him ‘Berserk’ for nothing. He is surprisingly fun-loving and mischievous (and utterly obsessed with Frank Sinatra), one who hasn’t let the darker aspects of his job really get to him. Or, if they have, he doesn’t show it in public.

Despite his almost bubbly nature, Ron is completely focused when it comes to his job. Like some in his division, he shows a natural disdain for liars and criminals, in general, but isn’t too harsh about it, most of the time. His temper has often gotten the better of him, though, and many a wall around the station has been victimized when something has worked him into a rage.

Ron is happy with his job, even if he’s not at the top of the pecking order. His partner, Julian Forbes is without a doubt his best friend, but he’s close to quite a few people in the PD, even a few CSIs. Ron loves what he does, and it shows.

Weaknesses: Mortality, for one, and the temper which Ron has trouble keeping in line from time to time. Ron will occasionally get worked up to the point of violence, probably because he doesn’t always let on when something’s upsetting him. Julian could also be used against him fairly easily, given their strong, almost sibling-like bond.

Abilities: An extensive knowledge of most firearms allows him to fire just about anything with practiced ease, from handguns to full-on rifles. Ron is also a formidable opponent in hand-to-hand combat, actually preferring fisticuffs to firearms. He’s fairly methodical in his ways when his temper isn’t raging, and happens to be one helluva cook, making him much appreciated at company get togethers. Ron’s foster father also taught him the ins and outs of auto care, so Ron has been known to do a bit of tinkering on the side.

Weapons: Standard issue Glock for a regulation sidearm, and a 9mm Beretta as his personal firearm. Ron also carries a small folding knife in his boot.

Prized Possessions: His job, like so many others in the force, and his partner, whom he treats like a younger brother. His one real material pride and joy is the 1967 Chevy Impala that he and his foster father restored when Ron was 17.

Home(s): A good-sized apartment that is (although he doesn’t know it) on Cole Stanton’s half of L.A.

History: Ron never met his biological parents. The family that he grew up with in Chicago, Illinois, the Berkshires, never cared that Ron wasn’t actually theirs; they loved him just the same. Sharon and Joshua provided a warm home, but Jeremy, Ron’s older brother, was Ron’s hero. A sergeant in the Chicago PD and an all-around good man, it was clear that Jeremy loved his job, and loved protecting people. His death during a homicide investigation only pushed Ron to work harder, but he didn’t want to stay in Chicago. He would have forever been known as, ‘Jeremy’s kid brother.’

So, Ron tried L.A. Finding a place on the force wasn’t difficult, and Ron soon went from squad patrol to narcotics division, where he was partnered with one Detective Julian Forbes. Oddly enough, there was a good deal of animosity between Julian and Ron in the beginning; the two were so much alike in temperament that they often butted heads. A drug bust gone wrong finally brought the two together when Julian put his life on the line to protect Ron, and the two have been like family ever since.