In the matter of the samaritan who helped police as an interpreter and then was arrested, I feel compelled to say something.
The story, in case you didn’t hear, is about a woman who, while on her way to her daughters school, was asked by police to interpret for the victim of an automobile accident. The woman agreed to help and the next thing we know she is being handcuffed and taken to a squad car being arrested for, what we later find out is ‘obstructing justice’. You can clearly hear her telling police she needs to pick her daughter up from school. My guess is that she no longer wanted to be at the scene because she had something more important and immediate to take care of which was getting her daughter to safety. The police told her to stay and she objected.
If she no longer wanted to stick around and interpret because she was concerned for her daughter being left alone at school (and we all know the images that little scene presents and what dangers lurk for young girls standing around outside of school by themselves) then she should have been allowed to leave. Did the police assume she was lying to get out of helping them? How absurd would this be after she did help?
The very least the police could have done would be to radio their precinct and have someone call the school to explain the delay and have the child looked after. Another possibility is to send a squad car to the school and pick up the little girl and bring her to her co-operating, helpful mother.
Why did the police choose to arrest this woman instead of helping her in return?
Why did this situation escalate to the point of this samaritan arrest? So, do you think she will be a samaritan in the future after what she went through? Isn’t it great when someone takes the time out of their busy schedule to help? Of course it is. But these cops have now squashed that impulse to help, once again with their authoritative bullying. I know these cops are out there to help, protect and serve but far too many of them go overboard and see threats where there are none.
This police officer, at the very least, did not exercise good judgment in preventing this woman from caring for her child. His actions caused this young girl to be left alone and unprotected. Did he think he was dishing out justice in response to some ‘threat’ from this woman?
Someone commented on this police officers actions by saying that he has a wonderful reputation in the town of Roselle Park NJ, and is respected and always has a smile for everyone. Sounds like the ideal cop that everyone wants on their force. Personally, I don’t believe there is such a cop. It is nothing more than an illusion. The way the news story was presented, albeit several different versions of it, showed no wrong doing on either the part of the police officer or of the ‘interpreter samaritan’, so we are left to fill-in the blanks, once again.
Perhaps this commenter has not seen this ‘friendly, loveable’ officer in a situation involving an Hispanic woman. Yes, I’m hinting there might be some prejudice involved. No one can deny that it doesn’t happen. Even people you think you have known your entire life can take a prejudiced outlook in some given situation.
Perhaps the samaritan reacted negatively, out of fear for her childs safety, when she was told she could not leave the scene until police were through with her services.
These are only but two possibilities and I present them here because they are very real possibilities and the news story left this question open.
You have to admit though that it just does not make sense that a ‘samaritan’ would suddenly be arrested, does it?
Another commenter said this: “Other cops should chastise this guy since they really make cops look like stupid power-mongers! Obviously, this cop doesn't know squat about analyzing a situation. Apparently, he claims he analyzed her. I think it's pretty obvious, on the video, she is worried about picking up her kid @ 1pm! I think people should stop HELPING the police!! PERIOD!”
I think this person has issues with cops in general. The commenter is turning assumptions into facts. Such as, it is not ‘obvious’ that this cop ‘doesn’t know squat about analyzing a situation’. This leap in faith assumes the woman is totally innocent. Since we don’t know what took place between the woman and police, it is an assumption only, not obvious.
It is obvious that she is worried about picking up her kid and I have already said the police should have done something to help her.
As far as advocating that people should stop helping the police, well, I don’t think that would be a good policy at all. You need to do some ‘analyzing’ of your own. Examine each experience with police with an open mind and then if you think the cop is wrong you should do something about it. You should not generalize that all cops are ‘stupid power-mongers’.
The commenter went on to say: “This woman should sue the police for "endangering the welfare of a child" "tort brutality" and "mental anguish". They have no problem putting bogus charges on us. No Jury/Person would decide against her.. and would probably be in 100% favor of her situation.”
Until we know what went on between this woman and police we cannot say if she has grounds to sue the police. It is true, that on the surface, they have done irreparable harm to public relations in not allowing her to go to her child. There are already too many unwarranted lawsuits clogging up the courts and way too many unscrupulous lawyers ready to do so.
I have no doubt that police have made up charges in order to arrest someone. I have no doubt that this has happened. In some cases I agree with the final result but never the means. Some people are just too slimy to get caught or they get slimy lawyers who get them off or they get judges who have stopped caring and allow the wrong people back on the streets. On top of all of this our jails are over-crowded and some of the wrong people get back on the street to prey on us. All of this frustrates cops to no end.
Police are necessary to put ‘bad’ people behind bars not someone who has more interest in protecting her child than she does in interpreting for an accident victim. This police officer should have weighed that fact and allowed this woman to go to her child.
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