To think this is obviously a lie

[Farfaraway8]

As would require completely different movements. Record of an incident says the person was grabbed from behind then a witness statement says the person was shoved. Aibu to think when there are multiple stories about things like it’s usually because it’s a lie.

There is a whole heap you are not saying so no one can answer fully

That depends on the nature of the incident. Something frightening or traumatic can cause the brain to misremember things, shock and fear can also affect memory. So it's not really as straightforward as saying someone lied. When the danger has passed and things feel safe again memories can change.

People can have different recollections, it doesn't mean they're lying.

The human memory is not infallible. At all.

Can't tell from that. Witness may be mistaken. And who made the record of incident?? On the basis of what evidence?

It's common knowledge that memory is not perfect. When it comes to witnesses, often people will have slightly different versions of events, but they will all be telling the truth as they see it.

It's impossible to say one way or another in the example that you have provided

Both people can be telling their truth and it still not be an accurate reflection of the incident.

You can be grabbed from behind AND shoved.

You can be grabbed and shoved. Not much different to be fair.

I'm unreasonably interested in this ... Was there somebody else in front of the victim/target/complainant, so a sudden backwards movement could've been either push or pull?

I witnessed a RTC and had to stay to tell the police what I saw. I got home about 2 hours after the incident and could clearly see from my dash cam footage that some things I said aren't what happened.

I thought I was slowing to a stop at the traffic lights when it happened, but the footage shows I had already fully stopped and had been stopped for a minute or so. I don't remember this at all. I remember slowing to stop and then the incident.

I wasn't lying, it just happened quickly and then I was busy trying to help. It's like the time just before the incident hasn't "saved" in my memory properly.

Good point, @CurlsnSunshinetime4tea! I was assuming the person's displacement was backwards, but OP doesn't say. They could have been shoved from behind, so it's the same thing really.

Both could be true, grab and shove in one movement type thing. If it's from behind people might not be as clear as they can't see. People get stabbed and say it was a punch all the time for example. Care to give more context? What led up to the grab/shove?

I dont think this is obviously a lie, no. I think something is more obviously a lie when witnesses agree to an unnatural extent

No, it is not at all obvious that it is a lie, and there being multiple versions of how the same incident unfolded does not mean anyone is lying.

Witnesses are notoriously unreliable because how humans process information and later recall it is unreliable.

In the case you've outlined, the spatial position of the witness in relation to the 'victim' and 'aggressor' could have a significant effect on what they perceived.

Seen from different angles it wil be described differently!

CCTV us useful

You must be joking? That is easily the same thing.

A crumb of context, perchance?

I’d not bank on it, @PeggySooo

What on earth are you talking about?!