This film is a Stephen King "Dollar-Baby": a short story whose film rights were purchased by an aspiring film-making for only one dollar.
In the final scene, the younger police officer is named Bannerman. This is a reference to George Bannerman, the sheriff of Castle Rock, Maine, who appeared in Stephen King's 1979 novel "The Dead Zone" and his 1981 novel "Cujo".
The film was shot in 1985 but James didn't manage to finish it until after graduation. It was for an undergraduate class called "Junior Narrative." The original budget was $700 but ended up at $5000 due to various logistical problems.