A reader shares this incredibly upsetting incident:
“I didn’t think much of the charcoal gray SUV that pulled over when I was walking up 16th St. until I heard the screams of the woman trying to get out of the passenger door. I ran towards the woman who screamed at me, “my husband beats me every day! Call 911!” And as I got closer I could see why she was screaming and trying to get out of the car. The driver was pummeling her and an infant in the backseat was wailing. I try to grab her arm but her husband is too fast and yanks her in the car and locks the door. But shutting the door does little to muffle the screams coming from the woman and the baby in the backseat. And I can see the man and his fists and arms flying.
So I do the only thing I can do and the very least I think common human decency requires. I step in front of the SUV and photograph the license plate and stand in front of the car so the abuser can’t drive away while I dial 911. But because my phone is a computer and not a phone I can’t get through but I’m not too worried about it because I know someone else is seeing this and surely they are calling 911. So I ditch the call and start beating the windshield with my umbrella to try and get the guy to lay off. He tires of that quickly and is ready to flee but I’m still planted in front of him so he does exactly what you’d expect. He starts driving into me and tries to pry me out of his path by threatening to run me over. But here’s the thing asshole: you are going to have to run me over if you think I’m letting you get away before the police get here. Because I am my sister’s keeper. (more…)
