This started around 12pm. I (26f) was reading in bed and my boyfriend (29m) was working in the office. I started hearing banging, wailing/moaning, yelling, and screaming outside. After a couple of minutes, I called my boyfriend in and we watched from the window.
There was a guy (30ish male) banging on a car, slamming the doors open and closed, pulling stuff out of the car and throwing it around, and going in and out of the car. All while wailing, screaming, and crying. My boyfriend and I debated whether we should call the cops because this had been going on for almost 20 minutes at that point. Our worry was that he was damaging someone’s car or about to hurt himself.
I called the cops and told them our address. I said there was a guy in a black hoodie going in and out of the car, screaming, slamming, and banging on it. I told them we did not want to get the guy in trouble, but we were worried about him hurting himself.
About 20 minutes later, the guy was still doing this and the cops pulled up. I did not hear the beginning of the conversation, but it escalated fast. There were about five to seven cops surrounding him, and I think they began to arrest him. He started pushing against them, and they tasered him twice.
He started crying and yelling “I’m sorry” and “please don’t deport me,” and saying something about his roommate. This repeated for a while until more cop cars and an ambulance arrived. They seemed to be questioning him and trying to figure things out.
At one point, I think he tried to run because I saw the cops run and then restrain him again. His roommate came outside and told him it was okay and to relax. After speaking with the roommate, the cops eventually put him in the car and drove away.
I feel guilty and like I may have made the wrong call. Him saying “don’t deport me” broke my heart because I am extremely pro immigration. I am worried I got him in trouble or ruined his life.
AITA for calling the cops in this situation?
No you are not. You were worried about someone property and the possibility of sombody getting hurt.
You did the right think.
Yeah a little bit. Just ask him if he’s alright next time lol.
NTA
The situation sounds like it was better to let authorities deal with it. Their actions are directly related to the behavior the person was exhibiting. You only suggested they look for themselves.
Borderline situation.
There are any number of reasons someone might be screaming and crying. Maybe he’s having a mental health episode. Maybe someone close to him just died. Maybe he’s going through the worst breakup ever. You don’t know and it’s better to not assume. It doesn’t sound like any person was at risk, just property that very well might have been his own.
“Black hoodie” is kind of a codeword that makes cops assume the worst, in my experience. Better not to call the cops on anyone unless you know for a fact they’re an immediate threat to a person, because yeah, they frequently escalate and make the situation worse. Treat cops like a gun: don’t point them at anyone you’re not willing to see killed. Especially if they’re not white, which it sounds like this guy wasn’t from his deportation fears.
I’m going to say a soft YTA. Your intentions weren’t bad, but the results were.
That’s a great reply! Let’s wait until the masked guy having a 40 minutes rage fit starts wailing and banging on a human being before calling the cops! /s
Like you said, better to not assume. Better to not assume the guy is a hypothetical black immigrant with nothing but good intentions and the hypothetical cops will shoot him in an alternate timeline. The way he was behaving in public had to be controlled; it was an easy call.
I dont want to be deported so let me make a scene and get the Attention of the Authorities
Seems like everyone is saying yta just cause he was an immigrant 😂😂😂 gosh
You did what you thought was right. I am just curious as an immigrant myself albeit not to the US what “extremely pro immigration” is. Open borders? Legal? Illegal?
NTA
My guess — and I could be wrong — is that in the current US climate, where immigrants are being deported violently, cruelly, and without due process, what OP means is she’s against what’s happening in the US right now.
NTA. You didn’t know what was happening, and it wasn’t safe for you to go out there and check on him. The cops clearly escalated the situation. There should be a community aid hotline for mental health crises, but there isn’t. If anything like this happens again, ask for the presence of CIT officers. These are officers trained in managing a mental health crisis.
NTA. Anyone acting like that needs serious help and you did the best thing you know how to do. Maybe research if there’s another line / service in your area to call next time for rapid response though.
You saw something, so you said something. The police made the decision. Not you. They made their decision based on his actions.
For all you know, someone else called it in as well.
NTA – you had good intent and were considering his safety. What happens thereafter is not on you.