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Good samaritan helping lost toddler gets punched by father, labeled predator online

J

johnsmith

remember me
Based on what I've learned about Donald Trump and assholes always projecting, I think an immediate investigation by child protective services is required, because this father is probably abusing his daughter.
 
D

DiipuSurotu

Banned
Fury451 said:
By glossing over the Facebook feed of the police department, it sounds like people got a hold of his personal information pretty fast and blasted his face, name and workplace out there. If that's the case that's a very good reason to move quickly, because now he's labeled the sexual predator and good luck getting rid of that idea even if you're innocent.

As far as not pressing charges, it's probably just a nice guy that doesn't want to disrupt someone's family. Personally I would press charges, but I could also see myself playing the sympathy card for the kids sake and letting it go.
Click to expand...

It's not random people, it's literally the father and his friends.
 
G

Google

Member
eyeball_kid said:
So you're suggesting he should have just stood there for an hour with the toddler
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The right thing to do (especially with a kid as young as 2) is to literally stay where you found the kid and call the police, explaining that you found a kid.

Chances are the parents would call the police and report the kid missing so you can have the local authorities then working together.
 
M

Mammoth Jones

Member
OG Shaka Zulu said:
Similar happened to my family. We were out and about at a tourist location, encountered a lost White child, tried to help and were greeted like kidnappers by the family.

Why would two Black adults who are with six kids under the age of 7 decide to kidnap a White child? It was a nonsensical reaction from her family.
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Yup. That's how people are. I'll dial 911 from a distance and yell out "Hey kid don't go over there it's dangerous" while I wait for the cops but I'm not getting anywhere near someone's white kid. They'll lynch my ass. Nope. Not risking it.
 
K

Kenstar

Member
slider said:
This reminds me of a recent experience. Coming through the airport back to the UK, with my son and the guy at passport control was quite inquisitive. He kept asking my boy "where's your daddy? Is this your daddy?" Granted, my son is absolutely beautiful and I'm a bit of a ghoulish beast. But it felt very odd!
Click to expand...

Did you just call a little boy beautiful

I dont feel comfortable with this man posting in this thread mods
 
link1201

link1201

Member
Saganator said:
Yup. Shit, the other day I drove by a couple young girls selling lemonade on their front yard. They were doing a cute little dance as people drove to get their attention, it was super cute, I was thirsty, and for a second I thought about stopping, but then I thought about the optics and just decided to nope it and kept going.
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Yeah, I actively walk as far away as I can from young children unless I'm with my wife. I've had a couple women on two different occasions look like they're having a heart attack because I've walked too close to their children in a store and they didn't see me at first :/
 
D

DiipuSurotu

Banned
The lack of apologizing isn't because the father simply doesn't feel regrets, it's because he still literally thinks that the guy is a child predator and that the police didn't do their job correctly.
 
V

vatstep

This poster pulses with an appeal so broad the typical restraints of our societies fall by the wayside.
Florida needs to be annihilated. Disgusting people.
 
K

Keri

Member
eyeball_kid said:
So you're suggesting he should have just stood there for an hour with the toddler, hoping that his attempts to prevent the kid from wandering around don't result in the kid bawling her eyes out, at which point the father finds his kid crying with a strange man preventing her from leaving? Yeah...no thanks.

I think you're slightly victim blaming here. The man tried to help and get the kid back to her parents quickly and I think that's what most of us would've done. Now maybe I wouldn't have picked the kid up, but asking the kid to point out her parents was a sensible thing to do, and trying to help a kid in need was a decent and kind thing to do. The only other option was to find a police officer or some other person in charge, but this seems like it was a loosely organized game at a park.

I have to say that as a man I do feel leery around other kids precisely because of situations like this. It wasn't always this way in America...my family tells me in the 50s, even as late as the 70s, people generally looked out for each other and didn't immediately treat other adults as a threat. This sense of community and common respect seems to be breaking down, and our politics reflect that.
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I've said repeatedly that this man didn't deserve to be attacked. My only point is that the safest and best way to help a lost child, is to stay put with them. If it looks like you're trying to leave with the child, it's more likely to cause confusion. I'm offering advice, in the hopes that the multiple people who have posted, stating they'd simply let the child wander away into more danger, reconsider.

If you find a lost child, the best thing to do is to hold their hand and stay where you found them. Then scan the area for a frantic and panicked adult. If you see one, wave them over and then immediately let go of the child's hand, so their parent can collect them. If you don't see anyone like that, after waiting a reasonable amount of time, then call the police. I think doing these things minimizes the chance that an emotional parent will confuse you for a predator and it saves a child from stumbling into traffic or actually being kidnapped.
 
P

p2535748

Member
A couple of weeks ago I was at the playground with my daughter, and a kid came running in. This playground is back of the road a fair distance, and there were no other cars in the parking lot, and no other parents I could see. I waited a bit, but when no one showed up for a few minutes I went over to the kid and just asked if he was doing okay, where his parents were, etc.

At this point, I'm talking to him, my daughter is over on another part of the playground, and this kid's panicked mom comes running in screaming "get away from him!" So I start to back away because she's clearly upset, and it's starting to freak out the kid a bit, and frankly I've always been wary about being around stranger's kids as an adult (something that's changed since I've had my own kids, but it never really goes away completely). The woman rushes up, grabs the kid and gives me a death stare. Fortunately, at that point my daughter runs over wondering what's going on, and when the mother's attitude changes noticeably when she sees my daughter.

Anyway, we were leaving soon anyway, so I just took off with my daughter rather than be around that, and nothing really came of it, but when that woman was running up, there was just this fear in the pit of my stomach, even though I knew I wasn't doing anything wrong. It sucks because I try to make sure my daughter isn't overly afraid of strangers, but of course she's asking all these questions about why the woman was yelling, and I don't want to get into "stranger danger," so I'm kind of avoiding the issue. It also sucks because parents like that are why people are wary sometimes to help kids, and I'd much rather have someone try to help my kids if they're in trouble than ignoring them because they're worried about my response.
 
M

Moose Biscuits

It would be extreamly painful...
I've never encountered a kid in distress but if I did I'm staying away from them for this reason. Call me a coward, whatever. Better to be thought a coward than a kiddy fiddler.
 
P

Plywood

NeoGAF's smiling token!
I recall a couple of threads here where people said they wouldn't help because of fear of being labeled/ostracized as such and well there you have it.
 
nkarafo

nkarafo

Member
Jonnax said:
If I saw a lost child, I ain't going to even approach.
I'd consider calling the police or if a woman is nearby, I'd ask her.
Don't want to get my head kicked in.
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Yeah, the story would be completely different if the person helping was a woman.
 
R

Redd

Member
Azerth said:
And this is why people dont help others. Do the right thing get punched and labled a predator
Click to expand...


This is exactly why. Best you can do is call the cops or someone in charge and hope for the best. Tried to do something nice and look what that got him.
 
B

blakep267

Member
DiipuSurotu said:
It's not random people, it's literally the father and his friends.
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Pretty much. If you go under the clarifying Facebook post by the Police department. Everybody seems to be in agreement that the family was wrong. Except for friends of the family. Like they can't let it go and keep bringing up the fact that he was "holding her" even though the cops said he was innocent. That's what's so crazy to me. The friends and family are the ones who are perpetuating this nonsense in the guise of not blaming the actual parents. Dude really needs to sue all of them
 
Sunster

Sunster

Member
Plywood said:
I recall a couple of threads here where people said they wouldn't help because of fear of being labeled/ostracized as such and well there you have it.
Click to expand...

reminds me of that cop who says she let herself get beat up because she knew if she shot and killed her attacker she'd get in trouble.
 
T

TS-08

Member
Not sure why people are having so much trouble understanding why the guy would leave town with his family and not press charges. The father who beat him up still believes he is a child predator. He was said to be increasingly agitated at the result of the investigation. The report says friends and family have joined in defaming the Good Samaritan online. Why shouldn't he assume someone might try to hurt him or his family even if the father eventually went to jail? People choose not to press charges all the time. It doesn't mean there is some sinister ulterior motive.
 
G

Google

Member
Guys,

If one of my kids got separated at the park from me I'd hope you'd be chill enough to hold either of them and let me come and find them.

I'd appreciate it and wouldnt punch you.
 
G

Gravy Boat

Member
RinsFury said:
What about getting accused of being the predator, and having your entire life destroyed? I ain't taking that risk.
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I would take that risk. Fuck letting some child get kidnapped, raped or worse.

I couldn't live with myself if I found out a child ended up in a situation like that and I could have prevented it.
 
L

L Thammy

Member
TS-08 said:
Not sure why people are having so much trouble understanding why the guy would leave town with his family and not press charges. The father who beat him up still believes he is a child predator. He was said to be increasingly agitated at the result of the investigation. The report says friends and family have joined in defaming the Good Samaritan online. Why shouldn't he assume someone might try to hurt him or his family even if the father eventually went to jail? People choose not to press charges all the time. It doesn't mean there is some sinister ulterior motive.
Click to expand...

It's because he's suspicious. Not say he did it, but
 
S

SliceSabre

Banned
If you are a man, don't help lost kids. Sounds cruel but if you look wrong while doing it you'll be in deep shit like that guy.

I have no problem admitting I've ignored clearly lost kids because of the stigma. I'm already black, I got enough troubles.
 
B

Bluenoser

Member
Why didn't the police charge the parents with child abandonment? Or neglect? Like what the fuck is happening to this world?
 
R

RionaaM

Unconfirmed Member
The father is a piece of shit. Leaving his daughter alone, punching an innocent person and then defaming him everywhere. The fucker didn't even apologize in the end. I think the victim should have pressed charges, but I'll respect his decision not to and to move away instead.
 
S

Scofield94941

Member
I work at a grocery store and a little girl was lost, asked her if she was lost. I proceeded to walk towards customer service with her when her mom came up behind. Wasnt mad at me but again I was a worker so she probably felt more at ease. If I wasnt a worker it probably would have looked very badly. In hindsight, I should have paged that "name of girl" was in produce looking for mother" Instead of trying to page at customer service.
 
E

eyeball_kid

Member
Keri said:
I've said repeatedly that this man didn't deserve to be attacked. My only point is that the safest and best way to help a lost child, is to stay put with them. If it looks like you're trying to leave with the child, it's more likely to cause confusion. I'm offering advice, in the hopes that the multiple people who have posted, stating they'd simply let the child wander away into more danger, reconsider.

If you find a lost child, the best thing to do is to hold their hand and stay where you found them. Then scan the area for a frantic and panicked adult. If you see one, wave them over and then immediately let go of the child's hand, so their parent can collect them. If you don't see anyone like that, after waiting a reasonable amount of time, then call the police. I think doing these things minimizes the chance that an emotional parent will confuse you for a predator and it saves a child from stumbling into traffic or actually being kidnapped.
Click to expand...

I understand what you're saying, but the advice you're giving is a reinforcement of the idea that all men should be viewed as dangerous and potentially a child predator. "Keep your hands up at all times, do not make a move that seems like a threat" I guarantee if it had been a woman in this scenario doing the same thing, none of this would have happened.

Also, calling the police is only a safe strategy if you're a white guy.
 
B

blakep267

Member
Gravy Boat said:
I would take that risk. Fuck letting some child get kidnapped, raped or worse.

I couldn't live with myself if I found out a child ended up in a situation like that and I could have prevented it.
Click to expand...
Just to clarify, you know that you can die from getting punched. Who's to say your head bounces off the concrete the wrong way or other things. Getting punched isn't likenin the movies
 
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