The Day a Stranger Asked Me to Call the Police
September 2024
“... “I want to do this right,” he said. “I have two warrants out for my arrest, and I want to do this right. I have a gun,” he said, as he moved the blue case forward, “but I don’t want to hurt anybody,” he said, looking over his right shoulder towards the mall as the swell of people mosied in and out of the shops. The parking lot had been packed when my dear friend, Mary, and I drove in search of a parking spot. I finally found a spot way down at the south entrance of the mall, and we walked our way north to the opposite end of the mall. It was a lovely fall day, and no one wore coats or jackets. In the store, I found a scenic picture that would go into my guest bedroom beautifully. I wanted to buy it, but a woman held the picture in her hand. Then she put the picture down, walking away from it, but she turned back and picked the picture up again. I kept my distance as this was repeated three times over 15 minutes before she finally walked away and left the picture in the store. I walked over to it, picked it up, and continued to the check-out. I was elated that I got that picture! It matched a pillow that I had on the bed in the guest room. We were leaving the store and walking through the large parking lot towards the far south entrance, where my car was, when the man first approached.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” the man said again. “Will you call the police for me?” he asked. “Sir,” I asked, “you want me to call the police for you?” I clarified. He nodded yes, and I took this opportunity to remove my phone from my purse and enter 911. Mary began to talk with him as I was calling the police. “You’re doing the right thing,” Mary spoke softly. “This may be the hardest thing you do, but you’re doing the right thing,” she exclaimed…
I believed we had successfully de-escalated the incident as more people had moved in closer to us than there initially were. The man remained calm as the officer searched his pants pockets, which were empty. The retired Mental Health Worker and Social Worker came alive within me, and I spoke to the policeman now. I said, “As his advocate, I want you to know that at no time was he frightening or threatening to us. It was his idea that I call you, which I did. He’s trying to do the right thing by turning himself in.” The native man kept his head down. The policeman nodded. “Good luck to you,” Mary hollered after him as the police man placed him in the back seat of his police car. “I'll pray for you,” we said in unison. Then the officer walked to the blue case that had a gun inside. The policeman opened the blue case, and Mary and I gasped in disbelief, “It’s empty!” The officer put the blue case in his patrol car….
The incident for us was now over. Mary and I looked at each other and let out a unified sigh! “You know, Mary, I’ve been praying to God to use me as I’m a helper, and I needed to help someone.”How could you be so calm?” she asked. “I don’t know,” I replied. “I believe it was the Spirit of God,” I said softly.”
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly: defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
~ Proverbs 31:8-9
Excerpt from Benedictions Given to an Ordinary Woman, Chapter 14 “Will You Call the Police for Me?”