Witness to a crime--wwyd?

[MrsCobraBubbles]

What would you do if you witnessed this crime?

I was out shopping in a nearby town and I saw a women being held by her hair, punched, and pushed (by her hair) into a car. I was at a red light across the street from the parking lot this was happening in, by the time the light changed, the woman was in the car, the man who had been assaulting her had jumped into the rear passenger seat and the car had driven through the parking lot and was stopped at the opposing light. I had to pull into traffic first and then this car pulled behind me. I was doing my best to "follow" the car, even though I was in front. In my rear view mirror I watched them signal to make a turn and so I did too, then I drove slowly until they passed me so that I could get their license plate number. I had to pull over to look up the phone number for the police in that town, but I caught up to the car and they were parked in a shopping center, no one was in the car but I called and reported it to the police.

I feel horrible about it, and I know that I'll probably never find out what happened, it has been a few hours and the police haven't called me back, but it occurs to me now that I probably put myself and my daughter in danger. Actually it occurred to me that I could be in danger when the police officer called me back and asked for my full name. I refused to give him my last name because I didn't want it ending up in the police report.

Now I can't stop thinking about it and wondering what I could have done differently. Will it matter that I didn't give them my name? The cops seemed concerned that it was an abduction, but from what I saw it looked like plain old domestic violence. Either way, it was horrible. Ugh.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I think I would have done something similar to what you did (I think I#d consider that one worthy of calling the emergency number, but that is about the only thing I'd change)

 

[abdmom]

You did the right thing.

 

[jerseygal]

Glad that you reported it. Next time call 911, it will summon help faster, explain the situation and where you were located. I only use the number for the police in a town if it is a non emergency situation. IMO, this was an emergency which rises to the level of 911! Must have been very scary.Don’t think it would be a negative if you gave your name. Your name would be confidential for the police records. Hope that the situation is under control now, they always say “if you see something, say something”, could save lives.

 

[lorimay]

Scary!
Many years ago my family(me, hubby & 2 small kids) were driving to my Mom's birthday party, at a red light a guy was out of his car and shooting at another car. I freaked out, my husband a police officer, his first reaction was to follow for a second, then he remembered we were all in the car. He did get a tag number. This was before cell phones, he pulls into a shopping center along with 4 or 5 others who saw it too.
It was the scariest moment of my life, I never even told my kids to get down, I froze.
I couldn't believe this was happening in my neighborhood.
Just crazy in broad daylight.
No one ever called the police to say they were being shot at, so they were pretty sure it was a possible gang situation.

 

[lorimay]

Glad that you reported it. Next time call 911 faster, explain the situation and where you were located. Must have been very scary. Don’t think it would be a negative if you gave your name. Your name would be confidential for the police records. Hope that the situation is under control now,

Police reports are public record and available by request.

 

[UncleMike101]

You acted properly.............
And I've seen "plain old domestic violence" turn into a murder investigation.

 

[jerseygal]

Police reports are public record and available by request.

I am aware of that,but isn’t it doubtful that they would say in the report, for example” Mrs Jones of 123 Main Street,” phoned us as at 215pm to provide detail on incident?

 

[Southernmiss]

You did the right thing. Could have been sex trafficking abduction.

We were walking the shops in the French Quarter and my kids saw a drug handoff! We did nothing as it was crowded and the people slipped through the crowds.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Scary!
Many years ago my family(me, hubby & 2 small kids) were driving to my Mom's birthday party, at a red light a guy was out of his car and shooting at another car. I freaked out, my husband a police officer, his first reaction was to follow for a second, then he remembered we were all in the car. He did get a tag number. This was before cell phones, he pulls into a shopping center along with 4 or 5 others who saw it too.
It was the scariest moment of my life, I never even told my kids to get down, I froze.
I couldn't believe this was happening in my neighborhood.
Just crazy in broad daylight.
No one ever called the police to say they were being shot at, so they were pretty sure it was a possible gang situation.

Oh my, that's scary! My first reaction was to drive over and start yelling. I couldn't see very well, but the woman was small and she looked young, I think the Mama Bear in me just reacted. Thank God there was enough traffic to keep me from driving through the red light and into that other parking lot, because it made me remember that my 7 year old daughter was in the car with me! That would have been a stupid thing to do with my kid in the car.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Glad that you reported it. Next time call 911, it will summon help faster, explain the situation and where you were located. I only use the number for the police in a town if it is a non emergency situation. IMO, this was an emergency which rises to the level of 911! Must have been very scary.Don’t think it would be a negative if you gave your name. Your name would be confidential for the police records. Hope that the situation is under control now, they always say “if you see something, say something”, could save lives.

You're right, I realized after that I should have called 911 but I didn't have a whole lot of information to give them. But after I got the license plate I should have called 911.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

I would have done similar and have done so in another situation that my husband, kids and I witnessed. I think what we saw unfolding was some type of road rage incident involving a truck with 3-4 men in it and a car with a single lady in it. It was scary and we immediately called 911 and followed both cars.

I would hope that if I or my kids were ever in a similar situation that bystanders would step in and help!

Thanks for helping this lady and hopefully she is ok!

 

[sjrec]

How scary-but you might have saved a life. Good for you and what a great role model you are for your daughter!

 

[Sandeep1]

Where is John Quinones in this thread?

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

How scary-but you might have saved a life. Good for you and what a great role model you are for your daughter!

Thanks for the compliment, but in real life I'm actually a pretty crappy role model for my children, as I only left my abusive husband 3 years ago. My ex-husband recently tried to re-establish contact with me couple weeks ago and the combination of that and witnessing this has me really rattled. I can't stop crying. I wish I could find out if this young woman is ok.

 

[sjrec]

Thanks for the compliment, but in real life I'm actually a pretty crappy role model for my children, as I only left my abusive husband 3 years ago. My ex-husband recently tried to re-establish contact with me couple weeks ago and the combination of that and witnessing this has me really rattled. I can't stop crying. I wish I could find out if this young woman is ok.

I remember many of your posts and I do not believe this! You do a great job and do your very best under some difficult circumstances

 

[amberpi]

Thanks for the compliment, but in real life I'm actually a pretty crappy role model for my children, as I only left my abusive husband 3 years ago. My ex-husband recently tried to re-establish contact with me couple weeks ago and the combination of that and witnessing this has me really rattled. I can't stop crying. I wish I could find out if this young woman is ok.

I've been there. You DID leave. That's hard, sometimes it takes crying. It's ok. You did the right thing. I'm impressed, keep doing you

 

[low-key]

I am a no snitch person, but if a man is hitting on a women I would not feel very good about myself if I didnt get involved . And if my dad was alive and seen I didnt do nothing he would kick my ***

(hey your traumatized after what you been thru, you did good)

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I am a no snitch person, but if a man is hitting on a women I would not feel very good about myself if I didnt get involved . And if my dad was alive and seen I didnt do nothing he would kick my ***

(hey your traumatized after what you been thru, you did good)

Thanks. I understand what you mean--I wasn't sure exactly what to do about it, but I couldn't do nothing.

The police called me once to get more details, when they also asked me for my full name, but I haven't heard from them since. I made the call to them around 1:00.

I should have grabbed my phone and started recording the man beating on her. I was stuck at the red light anyway, and then I would have had something to show the cops.

 

[low-key]

Thanks. I understand what you mean--I wasn't sure exactly what to do about it, but I couldn't do nothing.

The police called me once to get more details, when they also asked me for my full name, but I haven't heard from them since. I made the call to them around 1:00.

I should have grabbed my phone and started recording the man beating on her. I was stuck at the red light anyway, and then I would have had something to show the cops.

other people must have seen it,your the only one to do anything