Couple Spot a Strange Police Officer In Torrential Rain. But They’re Stunned When They Realize What She’s Doing!
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Police officers work to serve and protect the public, it’s the motto they swear by and everyday they answer calls all across the country of people seeking help. While the majority of their time is spent dealing with traffic issues and disturbances involving people, sometimes they have to assist other animals in need. Simply put, cops never know what they are going to come across when on the job, and one Maryland police officer could have never guessed she’d be praised for what she did one dark and stormy day.
When Carolyn Hammett and her husband were driving near their home in Greenbelt, Maryland they witnessed the cops selfless act. Rain was coming down in sheets, it was absolutely pouring outside, and yet up ahead in the middle of the road was a dark figure. As they got closer the couple realized that it was a police officer and she was standing over something on the road. The officer was soaking wet and yet she was smiling down at her feet, looking as happy as a clam out in the storm.
When they finally got close enough the Hammett’s realized that the cop was standing guard over a snapping turtle! Someone had luckily spotted the turtle trying to cross the road and told the officer who then stopped to assist it. Since it was raining hard the little guy wasn’t easy to see and she didn’t want it to get hit by a car, so she pulled over and stood by it. Being a snapping turtle, she couldn’t just pick it up without risking getting bit, plus it’s best to not handle any wild creatures. Either way, the officer wanted to keep it safe and had become the turtle’s bodyguard for the duration of his crossing.
Carolyn and her husband were amazed at what the officer was doing. They knew most people would just keep driving, and even fewer would actually stand in the rain in the middle of the road to protect a turtle. Inspired by the selfless act, they too pulled over and Carolyn’s husband jumped out of the car with an umbrella in hand. He ran over to the officer and shielded her from the rain while they chatted about the turtle’s predicament.
The officer had called animal control to come move the turtle out of the road, but there was no telling when they’d arrive. For now, all she could do was stand guard and wait. Having dealt with snappers before, the Hammett’s knew just what to do. They ran home and got two shovels, then used them to pick the turtle up off the road and place him on the side where he’d be safe. Now they could all rest easy and change into warn, dry clothes!
The cop who was guarding the turtle that day was Officer Sharnise Hawkins-Graham. She ended up being awarded the 2017 Greenbelt Police Officer of the Year for her outstanding service and dedication, shown not only on that rainy day, but all throughout the year. It’s inspiring to see others act so unexpectedly compassionate towards even the smallest of creatures among us, and when the Hammett’s saw Officer Hawkins-Graham, they were moved to help out as well.
Watch the video below for the full story:
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This Is The Actual Reason Why Cops Always Tap On Your Brake Light When They Pull You Over
You’re cruising along down the highway when suddenly you notice flashing blue and red lights in the rear-view mirror. A quick glance at your speedometer shows that you were in fact speeding well above the posted limit, so you pull off to the side of the road. A short while later the officer who pulled you over exits the patrol car and approaches your driver’s side window. As the cop passes by your vehicle’s trunk area you notice something strange, the officer seems to have lightly tapped on your taillight. You think to yourself ‘what was that for,’ but soon forget about it as you hand the cop your license and information.
Even if the above taillight tapping scenario has never personally happened to you, perhaps you have seen it happen to someone else during a traffic stop. Or you might have picked up on it in older films and on television shows where cops were frequently shown doing the tap. Maybe you’ve never seen it anywhere, but now you know it’s a thing! Either way, it likely seems kind of strange and the natural human reaction is to think to yourself, what is the meaning of this action?
Barring anyone with family or close relatives who are cops, most people have never bothered or even had to chance to ask any law enforcement officers about it. With that in mind, here are the real reasons why cops tap on the taillights of vehicles they pull over.
Fingerprints and Trace Evidence: Tapping on a car taillight is an old-school thing to do and it originally began as a way to leave fingerprints and trace evidence behind on a vehicle. Back before law enforcement used dashboard and body cameras there was little that an officer could do to definitively establish that they had made contact with a particular car and its occupants. Cops made it a habit to tap the taillight as they approached in order to leave a fingerprint behind. That way, in case anything happened during a stop, there was evidence linking the officer to the car. In addition, marking the vehicle physically showed that a cop had approached the car and made it that far. If there was any issues down the line, at the very least that could be used to establish a rough timeline of events, which back in the day could prove crucial to a case.
Surprise Tactic: Perhaps the more relevant reason is that tapping on the taillight serves as a quick and easy way to get the occupant’s attention while simultaneously distracting them. Whoever is in the car, whether it be the driver or passengers, is momentarily thrown off guard and surprised by the action. If they were in the middle of trying to hide drugs or contraband, or reaching for a weapon, they’ll be interrupted and distracted. This little shock tactic works surprisingly well and countless people have been caught red-handed attempting to conceal their illegal ways because of it!
Those are the reasons why cops will sometimes tap one the taillights when they pull a car over. Please pass this information along so your friends and family can learn something new and if this should ever happen to you, don’t worry about it!
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