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Original poster

If a police officer arrested you like Wayne Couzens?

401 replies

faithfulbird20 · 30/09/2021 11:57

Unfortunately it's taken losing Sarah to such a horrific crime to ask such a question. But what are we supposed to do. Someone arrests you off duty and you don't know whether u can trust them due to this case. What would you do? Ring 999 and say I'm being arrested by so and so but I don't know if he's on duty or if he's dodgy please can you log it somewhere. I just want to know if I'm definitely being taken to the police station I feel unsafe. There should be some sort of law. But what could you do? You've got no chance. No chance of safety. It's scary.

OP posts:
JesusInTheCabbageVan · 30/09/2021 13:07

You wouldn’t be handcuffed before getting into a taxi.

You could still be sexually assaulted or murdered though. Apparently it happens to women who aren't handcuffed as well.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 30/09/2021 13:07

@HateJudgmentalPeople

I always thought that it wasn’t right if it’s a lone officer arresting you, I think there has to be 2 of them and surely a female has to be there when a male officer is arresting a female no?
No.
SheWoreYellow · 30/09/2021 13:08

I don’t understand why you’d phone 999 and ask them to log it, OP.

I’d phone 999 or 101 and ask them to check it’s legitimate.

Mariell · 30/09/2021 13:09

[quote NerrSnerr]@Mariell
*
but how many people would be like Sarah and just believe him and meekly comply and obey? *

I find this really offensive. How the fuck do you know she just meekly complied and obeyed. You have no idea what he said to her or what he threatened her with.

It is not her fault. In any shape or form. Her actions did not lead her to be murdered. His did.[/quote]
It was reported from the evidence of the dash cam that she was meek and co operative after he showed her his warrant card.

MrsSkylerWhite · 30/09/2021 13:09

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Message deleted by MNHQ. Repeats deleted post.

LadyJaye · 30/09/2021 13:09

@GingerFigs

And for all we know she kicked and screamed and shouted for help but he is a man and therefore unquestionably stronger. We say we would do all of those things but faced with a quiet empty street and a determined male I think we are deluding ourselves if we think it's that easy to get away.

RIP Sarah

There was an eyewitness report given by a passer-by who witnessed the 'arrest'.

Saying that Sarah complied is not inferring that she is in any way to blame: just doing something that 99% of us would do, which is to take the word of a police officer as law, because that is how we have been conditioned by society.

MrsCremuel · 30/09/2021 13:10

It’s terrifying. I think my rational mind, which is more likely to trust police officers, would override my doubts. I’d also be worried resisting arrest would lead to another charge and I expect that others watching would not get involved. What would even happen if you called 999? Would they believe you?

Basically, a lone woman being arrested by a police officer, on or off duty, is helpless. I wonder how much this awful case has changed that.

HateJudgmentalPeople · 30/09/2021 13:11

No to what? I am Scottish and I’ve just read that here in Scotland it has to be 2 officers, I don’t think I would trust 2 male officers now after this!

I can’t believe he even got a job with the police in the first place after being a flasher, I hope someone in the police gets sacked for not doing their job properly by giving this cretin a job.

NerrSnerr · 30/09/2021 13:12

@Mariell how do you know she believed him?

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 30/09/2021 13:15

@HateJudgmentalPeople - yes, a bit abrupt, sorry! No to your last question - in England and Wales, single male officers can arrest women. This is due to resource shortages and will only change if police forces receive a massive boost in funding. I don't know about Scotland.

EsmeeMerlin · 30/09/2021 13:16

Honestly? If a male police officer wanted to ‘arrest’ me to harm me then he would easily be able to do so. I let a random male police officer into my home to use the toilet when he knocked asking for it. Now any other man I would immediately be cautious and worry he was a man trying to get into my home to harm me or rob my home but because he was a police officer I immediately trusted him and didn’t feel like I could say no to an officer. He was completely genuine but does show me there is no way I would question an officer with a warrant card and no doubt the right script. At any rate I do feel it’s again asking women what they should do to keep themselves safe as if we don’t have enough things we are taught to stop men attacking us.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 30/09/2021 13:17

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Message deleted by MNHQ. Repeats deleted post.

MrsSkylerWhite · 30/09/2021 13:18

EsmeeMerlin

“I let a random male police officer into my home to use the toilet when he knocked asking for iT”

Actually gobsmacked that they’re allowed to do that!

adoreyou · 30/09/2021 13:21

This is something I've been thinking about since all the info has been coming out.
And I don't know what the answer is.

I've never been arrested, never had anything to do with the police. So if I was in sarah shoes I would've gone along with him.

And until recently I would've assumed that if I was harassed/ attacked in the that any people near by would help. But a recent incident in our local town has made me realise I can't rely on that happening. Even in broad daylight!

Let's face it, if we saw an officer arresting a women, who was kicking off and screaming for another officer would we intervene or just think she's resisting arrest? Kicking up a fuss, drunk or on drugs??
Maybe we would now.... but I think the majority of people wouldn't get involved.

Gingerkittykat · 30/09/2021 13:22

Genuine question - the women saying that they would refuse, peacefully or otherwise - would you get into a taxi with a make driver on your own?

I've never hesitated about getting into a taxi with a male driver. I would only use a registered taxi with the big sign on it. I think that these days they also have dashcams and location monitoring in it which adds an extra layer of protection. Uber doesn't exist here, I'm not sure but I don't think they have a good safety record so I would avoid them.

Until this case I would have felt uneasy about a plain clothed police officer trying to arrest me but would have went along with it meekly. I would definitely question it now and tell my DD to do the same.

BogRollBOGOF · 30/09/2021 13:23

Being realistic

  1. you defer to the authority of a police figure or
  2. you have doubts and resist but are overpowered.

I've been in a freeze, fight or flight position, very different situation, but it took a moment to process what was happening and I then lashed out in self defence taking him by surprise. Being stopped in a premeditated trap with someone with the confidence of authority and significant physical advantage, I suspect that my reaction would be different and freezing and complience would take over. As it was I had a lot of self doubt about my actions prior to my assualt, and it took years to accept that they were utterly irrelevant anf it was all down to him exploiting my inability to consent (I was asleep).

She had no chance and she could have been any of us.

Mariell · 30/09/2021 13:23

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Message deleted by MNHQ. Repeats deleted post.

Gettingthereslowly2020 · 30/09/2021 13:26

I'm a very assertive person but I would have done exactly what Sarah did in that situation. Like PP have said, I'd be concerned that by kicking up a fuss, I might then be charged with resisting arrest or something. I think most of us would have done the same as Sarah, especially after seeing a warrant card. I don't think Sarah was being "meek" by doing as she was told by a police officer.

NerrSnerr · 30/09/2021 13:28

We owe it to ourselves to educate ourselves as to what are our legal rights and to question things that could put us in a dangerous situation.

Knowing her legal rights and questioning things was not going to stop Sarah being murdered that that day.

MrsSkylerWhite · 30/09/2021 13:28

Mariell

“But that’s EXACTLY what I am saying. Most people would have behaved exactly like you and Sarah and do as they were told.“

I did misunderstand you. I read your comment to be suggesting that most of us would not be “meek”. I took that as a criticism of Sarah. My apologies.

IntermittentParps · 30/09/2021 13:30

I'd insist they called control in front of me. If they wouldn't I'd call 999.
I only say this since the Sarah Everard case, I must make clear. Previously I would have trusted the police a bit more. Awful that now I can't.

LaBellina · 30/09/2021 13:30

I was thinking I would go on a live stream on Instagram or Facebook: people can see straight away what is happening to you and there’s no denying who has done it.
If you have time to grab your phone ofcourse.

Insert1x20p · 30/09/2021 13:32

I would 100% have complied, just like Sarah. Now I 100% wouldn't - i'd demand another officer attend, especially if plain clothed. I'm beyond sad that this had to happen for me to make that mental switch.

Skyechasemarshalontheway · 30/09/2021 13:37

In scotland they can handcuff you and sit you in a car whilst alone. Its not routine to have single officers though those are most likely to be community officers which travel alone.

Keke94LND · 30/09/2021 13:38

Before this, I would have likely done exactly what Sarah did an complied, I would probably have said 'it's not illegal to walk outside' or been miffed about it, but I would probably have got in the car thinking I don't want to make it worse for me by kicking up a fuss and I can explain everything at the police station... but I also wouldn't have thought that this man was lying to me to kidnap me, rape and kill me.. and if that thought had come into my mind I probably would have told myself to stop being so ridiculous. Now though, I would not.