What would you do?

[stengun]

Howdy,

Let's say you are at WalMart and you are in the school supply aisle right before the beginning of the new school year.

A few feet away from you is a couple that are say in their early 30's. It's very apparent that they are meth heads and are high on meth. They have four kids with them from age 4ish to age 12ish. 7yo boy asks his mom if he can have a certain notebook. The woman slaps the boy up side is face/side of his head and starts screaming at him and calling him a M.F. and such.

The slaps about knocked the boy off his feet and his was clearly dazed by the blow.

After screaming at the boy, the woman draws her hand back and starts to hit him again.

Now, the question is "What would you do?"

The woman has commited a Class C Felony by striking the boy in such a manner. Here in Arkansas, where this took place, the sentence is 3-6years. Since the victum is under 12yo, the sentence doubles.

Now remember, the boy wasn't acting up or anything, just asking for a notebook two days before school started.

So, what would you do.

I was the person in the aisle and I watched this happen. Without posting what I did, if anything, what would you have done if you were in my shoes.

Paul

[427sharpe]

Intercept the strike, call the cops, and wait for them. No child deserves this kind of bs.

[Sharroll Celby]

I would have told her/them to quit hitting the boy, then try to find the manager of the store, and let said manager make a decision.
When an outsider person intervenes upon a "dangerous" (meth-head) couple), that person could possibly set themselves up to be followed home and robbed at a later date, or beaten up in the parking lot, or maybe worse.
I would like to believe I would take a verbal stand on the youngster's behalf, but from a wary, "defensive" posture.

[392cobra]

I have been in a very similiar position as this.It happened on my business property.

As the mother went after the little girl for a second swing,I stopped her.
She acted like like no one had ever let her know that such behavior was going to stop and stop right then and now.

[Jamo]

I'd tell the nearest WalMart employee to announce that they're gonna need a claenup on Aisle 4.

Based on what you describe in that post (sometimes folks add additional facts after they get responses), the kid would not be hit again. Depending on the couple's reaction...I'd probably need a lawyer.

I've stepped in a few times over the years...thankfully, just a committed command has shocked the jerks to stop and rethink the situation, but I've called the cops in twice. Sad thing is...most CPS folks are overworked or undermotivated to follow through, and the kids end up going through the system at those ages.

[bomelia]

I like Jamo's thing about needing a cleanup on aisle 4. But that would never have occured to me. Blind anger gets in my way of rational thinking. I would most def said something. Hopefully you took corrective action.

The last folks on Earth that should be parenting are drug addicts, especially meth heads. I could tell you stories...

Mike

[Stentor]

Originally Posted by bomelia

I like Jamo's thing about needing a cleanup on aisle 4. But that would never have occured to me. Blind anger gets in my way of rational thinking. I would most def said something. Hopefully you took corrective action.
Mike

I think Jamo was suggesting that he would be whooping somebody's arse in aisle 4, and someone from WalMart would need to come clean up the mess after he was done.

[Jamo]

yup...blind anger is a wonderous beast

[bomelia]

Originally Posted by Stentor

I think Jamo was suggesting that he would be whooping somebody's arse in aisle 4, and someone from WalMart would need to come clean up the mess after he was done.

And what part of what I said made you think I did not get that?

Like I said, I hope you intervened.

Mike

Edit: I see why you thought that. What I meant was humor would have been the last thing on my mind. I seriously could see Jamo calling that in just before "whoopin some ass".

[Jamo]

I'm not saying I'd want to...asspecially when dealing with meth heads. Just gotta be ready for the response. The times I've stepped in, there were others in the setting (an aisle a couple of times, a playground once) who also stepped up to make it clear that the conduct was going to stop.

[Wayne Maybury]

I have never been in that situation so I am not sure how I would react but I would like to think that I would do whatever it takes to make sure that the child was not hit a second time. I also would be very worried about the care those kids would receive tomorrow, next week, and next year. Obviously these children would be much better off just about anywhere else.

It sounds like this couple is the scum of the earth.

Wayne

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by 427sharpe

Intercept the strike, call the cops, and wait for them. No child deserves this kind of bs.

Exactly the right thing to do.

[Wes Tausend]

...

Intervene.

Or I would regret and wonder the rest of my life.

One time, back in the seventies, I briefly subcontracted some drywall footage to a guy obviously passing through from the west coast. Part of the deal was that I arrive at his campsite with the paycheck so he could shortly continue. Although I didn't see a thing, he remarked that the little girl that peeked out the window of his beat-up pick-up camper, was his daughter. I just shrugged it off.

Weeks later, an unrelated child abduction case made me rethink it. Why didn't I have him checked out, passed off as a routine traffic stop? Who was the child, really? Why was she alone with this sleazy looking character and why was he concerned that she peeked out? It has haunted me ever since.

Meth:
One of the guys I worked with apparently did Crank so often he didn't really show it, because nobody ever saw, or knew, him clean. A pizz test came up hot when he ran over a derail hidden under snow and put his locomotive on the ground. He'd done so many dirty needles, he finally died from hepatitis, not somebody one would want to mix blood with. This is my opinion of many Meth users; don't touch.

For a while, Meth was on the decline. By restricting "big batch" chemicals and the alertness of law enforcement to labs, the busts were taking effect. But now an insidious new threat has emerged; shake and bake meth. No big lab required. Mix it cold, one-handed in your car while driving with the other. This is bad news. Meth is the worst, most destructive recreational drug ever.

Wes

...

[trularin]

Call the friggin police. No child deserves this.

Dang, use the cell phone an record the entire event!

[bomelia]

There have been 3 arrests at the local wal-mart.... they call them mobile meth labs. I guess they are using the shake & bake method.

[rustyBob]

I grew up with an abusive father in the house until i was 14 when my mother finaly came to her sences a threw the S.O.B. out on his............I have never raised a hand to my son or his mother in anger and i am very proud of that because i know what it feels like.........i would like to think i'm a better man for it...........i will not tolerate child abuse or spousel abuse if i think either one are taking place in a home or even in public area i DO NOT feel bad for calling the cops...............i can only hope that you stopped her in her tracks and called the cops regardless of what the consequences may have been to yourself.....Walmart has cameras that would have seen everything. turn them in and save a life.

[Argess]

I'd intervene, even though that was minor compared to other things that go on. Good thing I'm not a social worker as I'd be fired for some serious a$$-kicking.

I once intervened on somthing similiar (luckily no children involved) and was told it wasn't my business. My response: "when you behave like that in public, you make it everybody's business"

[SP01715]

You could mke a citizens arrest and wait for law enforcement. I dealt with this a few times when I was a cop. If I was confronted with a hostile response from the parents I would use whatever force was needed. Just be prepared to be in a fight, because I have been in my share and you never know how someone will react.

[joeg2]

if i did not step in i would hate my self for not helping the child
joeg

[Jamo]

Originally Posted by SP01715

You could mke a citizens arrest and wait for law enforcement. I dealt with this a few times when I was a cop. If I was confronted with a hostile response from the parents I would use whatever force was needed. Just be prepared to be in a fight, because I have been in my share and you never know how someone will react.

Hehehe...memories. I did that once to about 30 pickets who jumped a fence and came onto my client's property. Told them I was making a citizen's arrest and that they needed to stay exactly where they were until the Sheriff's Dept. arrived.

Dumbasses sat down on the cement!

The deputies cited them for tresspass (notice to appear) and the basturds thanked me for not having them arrested.

Wished my lab would sit when I tell him to.

Alright Stengun...you've heard from some folks. How did you deal with it?