my ex-boyfriend attacks me.
I call the police at midnight, hating the thought of being seen as a victim.
But they don’t see me as a victim.
I didn’t know it at the time, but California Penal Code 13701
says police have to make an arrest in domestic violence cases—me or my ex.
They choose me.
"It’s the law. I could lose my job if I don’t arrest someone"
the arresting officer insists.
I want to scream. I called for help and got taken away in cuffs.
My ex threatens to kill me and gets resources.
How is this fair?
Later, after the DA drops my charges for lack of evidence,
I learn that the law was meant to protect victims.
But gaps in officer training and the pressure to act,
often lead to rushed, flawed arrests—like mine.
It is my experience that inexperienced cops, wound up cops, inappropriately outraged cops, casually contemptuous cops - they're how we know there is a bad police chief.
Fwiw there are umpteen anecdotes from men on the opposite side of this situation. You can imagine, even in a situation where the woman is the aggressor, the instinct and unofficial practice is to always arrest the man.
I'm a little puzzled, to be frank, to see one being handled this way. There are definitely two sides to this story.
> I'm a little puzzled, to be frank, to see one being handled this way. There are definitely two sides to this story.
You shouldn't be. I've seen low-experience cops get soundly manipulated over and over and over. As long as a manipulative abuser gets that cop's ear first, that cop is handled.
For those times when the cop learns they'd been had - once the facts are now clear, they do not arrest the manipulator or even try to do the right thing. Not ever.
They get in their cars and go, leaving a rewarded abuser behind.
Throw in a law that mandates an arrest and they're going to arrest the person who has the least capability to embarrass them (further).
Fwiw there are umpteen anecdotes from men on the opposite side of this situation. You can imagine, even in a situation where the woman is the aggressor, the instinct and unofficial practice is to always arrest the man.
I'm a little puzzled, to be frank, to see one being handled this way. There are definitely two sides to this story.
> I'm a little puzzled, to be frank, to see one being handled this way. There are definitely two sides to this story.
You shouldn't be. I've seen low-experience cops get soundly manipulated over and over and over. As long as a manipulative abuser gets that cop's ear first, that cop is handled.
For those times when the cop learns they'd been had - once the facts are now clear, they do not arrest the manipulator or even try to do the right thing. Not ever.
They get in their cars and go, leaving a rewarded abuser behind.
Throw in a law that mandates an arrest and they're going to arrest the person who has the least capability to embarrass them (further).
Throw in a law that mandates an arrest, and they're going to arrest the most innocent person, just to avoid further involvement.
Mirror: https://archive.is/qybuU
Why are you mirroring a website that is not paywalled?
Just in case it's taken down, retracted, lost, slashdotted, etc.
[flagged]