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Citizen's Arrest! Citizen's Arrest!
May. 19th, 2009 09:33 pmTwo days a week I walk around a mall with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
livingdeb and cartaufalous . The mall we walk in has a convenient location and air conditioning to recommend it. Up until quite recently, it was also a decent mall. The past year or so we have watched the major stores close and sometimes be replaced by unknowns selling imported chinese clothing for teenagers. The other shoppers have also degraded in visual respectability. Most days we see a lot of very young mothers and a few possible teenage toughs. Just after what we guess is payday, they thicken significantly. On those days, I am grateful to not be walking alone, even when I see the uniformed cops.
Today,cartaufalous and I were just entering one of the big crosswalks in the center of the mall when I heard a high noise. Perhaps a short whistle? Then I noticed a flurry of motion about 20 feet away that resolved itself into a fight. Two figures ran away, two seemed to be tussling on the floor. There was a skateboard a few feet away. Before I could wonder if we should be backing away, a mall cop was there.
He had a gun-looking taser pointed at the two figures on the floor and he was loud. The top figure separated into a man, who insisted "Citizen's arrest! Citizen's arrest!"
The mall cop did not seem to care. The figure on the floor turned out to be a long-haired male teenager, who did not seem to be injured, but warily did not move from his prone position. The mall cop was easy to understand. Loudly, he insisted that the man get on his knees and put his hands behind him. "Citizen's arrest! Citizen's arrest!" The mall cop was very convincing: Do what I say, or I will taser you. And I will not hesitate to taser you.
To my surprise, the mall cop pulled out an actual pair of handcuffs and cuffed the kneeling man. Only then did the teenager slowly sit up and speak quietly. The two teenagers who had run off previously slowly returned.
We could not hear the rest of the conversation, though the man in cuffs was led out by the mall cop and another uniformed person. I later saw the previously-running teens walk by us.
I have no idea what the disagreement was about. But the speed at which the mall cop firmly stopped it makes me think that this was not his first time. I wonder how long we decide it is safe to continue walking in this mall.
livingdeb and cartaufalous . The mall we walk in has a convenient location and air conditioning to recommend it. Up until quite recently, it was also a decent mall. The past year or so we have watched the major stores close and sometimes be replaced by unknowns selling imported chinese clothing for teenagers. The other shoppers have also degraded in visual respectability. Most days we see a lot of very young mothers and a few possible teenage toughs. Just after what we guess is payday, they thicken significantly. On those days, I am grateful to not be walking alone, even when I see the uniformed cops. Today,
cartaufalous and I were just entering one of the big crosswalks in the center of the mall when I heard a high noise. Perhaps a short whistle? Then I noticed a flurry of motion about 20 feet away that resolved itself into a fight. Two figures ran away, two seemed to be tussling on the floor. There was a skateboard a few feet away. Before I could wonder if we should be backing away, a mall cop was there. He had a gun-looking taser pointed at the two figures on the floor and he was loud. The top figure separated into a man, who insisted "Citizen's arrest! Citizen's arrest!"
The mall cop did not seem to care. The figure on the floor turned out to be a long-haired male teenager, who did not seem to be injured, but warily did not move from his prone position. The mall cop was easy to understand. Loudly, he insisted that the man get on his knees and put his hands behind him. "Citizen's arrest! Citizen's arrest!" The mall cop was very convincing: Do what I say, or I will taser you. And I will not hesitate to taser you.
To my surprise, the mall cop pulled out an actual pair of handcuffs and cuffed the kneeling man. Only then did the teenager slowly sit up and speak quietly. The two teenagers who had run off previously slowly returned.
We could not hear the rest of the conversation, though the man in cuffs was led out by the mall cop and another uniformed person. I later saw the previously-running teens walk by us.
I have no idea what the disagreement was about. But the speed at which the mall cop firmly stopped it makes me think that this was not his first time. I wonder how long we decide it is safe to continue walking in this mall.
