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I am seriously beginning to wonder how many of you folks defending the police have actually had to call them. Are you perhaps basing your understandings on cop shows? Because-
The last time I called the police was when I got in a fenderbender about, oh, 2 years ago? Three car collision. And I want to tell that story now, along with a few others.
I was in the middle lane in the busiest road in town. A sedan driven by a Black woman was behind me. A shipping van driven by a white man was behind her.
I don't know what set him off, but this white man slammed on his horn and rammed the sedan while we were stopped at a light.
I don't know what set him off, but this white man slammed on his horn and rammed the sedan while we were stopped at a light.
The impact was enough to send her into MY car. Now we've got a three car collision in the middle of a massively busy intersection at 2pm.
She gets out to go try to talk with the van driver and get his insurance info.
She gets out to go try to talk with the van driver and get his insurance info.
I haven't gotten out because I'm busy getting MY paperwork ready. I notice she's looking distressed and standing by her car in that way when you're not sure what to do.
I get out and walk over and ask if she's ok. She tells me the driver "won't talk to me".
I get out and walk over and ask if she's ok. She tells me the driver "won't talk to me".
I look up at this guy. He's gripping his steering wheel so hard his knuckles are white and glaring at us like we killed his dog or something. My first thought was wondering if he had a gun and if I was gonna get shot.
We wait a little while we exchange OUR info, she and I. He doesn't cool down, doesn't pull over, doesn't come out to talk. The cars around us are honking and passing us, some a little too close for comfort.
I finally say to her: "Look. Do you want me to call the police? I'll stay here with you and can take point if you want me to." She said that would be a huge relief and thanked me.
So I call the cops.
So I call the cops.
I tell them, very clearly, that we have a three-car collision, possible road rage incident, and that we're afraid of the van driver because he won't talk to us to share insurance information. I tell them the intersection is blocked and traffic is backing up.
Two cops show up an HOUR later. I put myself between them and the Black woman and they start trying to scold HER, talking around me, for not getting the man's insurance. I tell them that we tried to get his insurance and that he wouldn't talk to us. She nods.
One cop stays to watch us while another goes over to talk to van guy. Van Guy starts screaming obscenities at the police man, getting up in his face.
At this point, we're hot and exhausted. I ask our police if we can go or what.
At this point, we're hot and exhausted. I ask our police if we can go or what.
Eventually he agrees that we can go and gives us the police report information that she needs for her insurance company. She makes arrangements for a tow for her car. I give her my phone number and leave after she goes.
We were in danger multiple times during that event and at no point did the existence of police lessen that danger. They took an hour just to *show up* and when they did arrive, they immediately tried to blame a Black woman before asking what happened.
People often ask me what I'd do if there are no police to call in a violent situation. But I've *called* police in a violent situation and they took their time showing up. The fact that I'm still alive has nothing to do with them saving me.
Fast forward a few months. I'm living alone and I just happen to be awake at 3am because I get up about six times a night to pee. There's a knock at my front door. It's a HEAVY knock, a demanding knock.
Now, I'm recently divorced in this story. My heart is in my throat. Is my ex husband on the other side of the door? Is he here to hurt me? Who else is gonna knock on my door at 3am like they own the place?
I crack open the inner door and...it's a cop. I ask him if I can help him, because I don't want him to shoot me. He says he wants permission to go into my backyard.
I'm confused enough to blurt out "Why??" and he irritably tells me he saw someone run back there when he was driving the neighborhood.
Now, I know kids exist and some of them are scared of cops. I'm assuming it's some kid who got spooked. But I don't feel safe telling an armed police officer that he can't enter my property. (Would you???)
Instead I figure I'll "white woman" at this guy. I start peppering him with questions, like "oh my gosh, a person?? In MY backyard, you think? But why would anyone run from a police car? Do you think they're dangerous? We have a neighborhood watch..."
I'm trying to talk loud.
I'm trying to talk loud.
This guy walks away while I'm talking, opens my fence gate, and goes into my backyard without waiting for my permission. He's stomping like he's real mad. I wait, because I don't know what else to do.
When he comes back, he angrily tells me "they got away".
When he comes back, he angrily tells me "they got away".
I think I mumbled something like "oh no that's awful" and closed the door when he left and kinda collapsed on the floor right there. Because I didn't know, but I was really afraid a kid nearly got shot in my yard for doing nothing at all.
I've lived here for ten years now and never felt threatened by a stranger except when a cop showed up.
And I mentioned this yesterday, but I have to take a workplace shooter "class" every year at my job. More than half the video is about how not to be shot...by police, when they show up.
There's a full "re-enactment" scene where cops are screaming at terrified office workers telling them to get down on the ground and show their hands, while a voice-over helpfully warns us that if we freeze up the cops will shoot us so don't freeze up.
Helpful!
Helpful!
So, like, I just......have a lot of questions about people who ask me who I'll call when there's no police to call. I've called the police quite a lot in my life and they've never shown up fast enough to *prevent* violence. Not once.
I've already blocked this person but don't do this? Hyperfocusing on a detail you don't need to know more about as though I did something wrong.
(I already said I thought it was my ex-husband. Trust that I know how to handle my life better than you, an internet stranger.)
(I already said I thought it was my ex-husband. Trust that I know how to handle my life better than you, an internet stranger.)
Y'all.
"Of course cops don't show up quickly to car collisions!" I've explained I told the operator why we thought we were in *ongoing* danger.
If your "point" is that cops don't believe people who say they're in danger, that just underlines MY point that they're not useful.
"Of course cops don't show up quickly to car collisions!" I've explained I told the operator why we thought we were in *ongoing* danger.
If your "point" is that cops don't believe people who say they're in danger, that just underlines MY point that they're not useful.
It is extremely weird to write a thread about how the cops didn't respond to a dangerous situation and have people defensively assume you *explained it wrong*. If cops are meant to be useful, civilians shouldn't need special Cop Whispering training to talk to them.
...no, that's not what my story is about. https://twitter.com/fangirlsmash/status/1326992777645748225
You're really obsessed with the time delay, which I mention not because the delay upset me but because people think police respond quickly when someone calls and says they're in danger. The reality is that the police don't. https://twitter.com/fangirlsmash/status/1326991921802137600
The point of my traffic collision story is that a dangerous white man was of less interest to the police than trying to find a way to blame a Black woman who was in every way the victim. AND that they took their time showing up when we called and said we were in danger.
How many times are you going to ask me this question? I'm Hard of Hearing. Asking aloud who is on the other side of the door is not a useful option for me because I will not hear the answer. I'm sorry about my ears? https://twitter.com/fangirlsmash/status/1326994537827332097
I have more horrific experiences with police I could share, like from when I didn't have a home to live in.
But I instead shared the most recent ones because I think they're the most relevant to the question of timely police response.
But I instead shared the most recent ones because I think they're the most relevant to the question of timely police response.
Uniquely horrific stories of the police have a way of being dismissed as "bad apples" that need to be weeded out.
"Here is a thing that is common and banal and yet harmful and useless to society" can be useful when illustrating how the entire system routinely fails.
"Here is a thing that is common and banal and yet harmful and useless to society" can be useful when illustrating how the entire system routinely fails.
I'm going to mute this thread now, but I am so grateful to all of you who shared your stories and I'm so sorry for all the trauma that police have caused to us.
Defund and abolish the police.
Defund and abolish the police.
