Cop got 'a lot of heat off' a mom he pulled over—but his one question made her leave the car and hug him while sobbing
What many people fail to understand in today’s world is that a person might be going through so much that it is causing them to be difficult. Sometimes, rude behavior, lack of patience and so on stem from ongoing troubles. That’s why it's so important to be mindful and humane in our interactions. Cabarrus County Deputy Shawn Singleton pulled a woman over, Katelynn Ricchini, for speeding, WSOC-TV reported. When he asked her to step out of the vehicle to understand the reason, he was met with frustration from the woman. Instead of going with the flow and lashing back at her, he asked her one question that transformed the exchange.
The officer’s bodycam captured the conversation. Ricchini was reportedly driving at the speed of 61 miles per hour in a 45mph zone. “I was going the speed limit,” she sternly said. The officer wondered why she was all defensive and instantly frustrated as he approached her. In that moment, he could have handled things by taking action against her or ticketing her. However, he instead asked, “What’s with the attitude? Just curious." Still feeling agitated, the woman responded, “What, I can’t have a bad day?” The officer continued conversing calmly with her. He explained to her that it was completely alright to have a bad day, but getting “heat” despite being kind and nice to her seemed unfair.
The woman honestly noted, “I come from a background where I don’t do cops. I can't stand cops.” The officer had to do his duty but decided to do it thoughtfully. He checked her license and let her off with a warning. “I understand you’re having a sh*t day. So I’m not trying to make it any worse,” Singleton mentioned, while handing her the warning. He explained to her how he could have gotten her to take court rounds and pay fines but chose not to do it out of kindness. “All I’m asking is that you pay attention to the road and follow the speed limit signs,” he added. As she intently listened to his composed statements, Ricchini started to feel safe with the conversation.
As a little bit of hope lit up, the officer then posed a question that made all the difference. He asked, “Are you good?” “No,” Ricchini honestly responded. Singleton patiently waited to listen to anything the woman might have to say. In that moment, he was just a human being reaching out to another. The woman honestly confessed that she was battling anxiety and had also been recovering from substance abuse. “I’m clean and sober now but I’ve always had bad incidents with cops,” she said. He continued to offer soothing encouragement and somehow it was the comfort the woman needed.
“I understand that probably where you came from is not the best. You came down here for a reason, right? Okay, give it a chance. Don’t bring the anxieties,” he said to her. The officer asked if Ricchini needed anything more at all. “Do you need a hug?” he asked. Embracing him and sobbing, the woman finally revealed she had fled from an abusive relationship and moved to get clean. She was also a mom to a 5-year-old and was working on her recovery to get back to him. 6 months after the incident, the woman couldn’t help but thank the man who saved and changed her life.
“I was on my way to probably do something that wasn't in my best interest,” she said. Now back with her son, she is grateful for that interaction that changed everything. “He saw me as a person, not an addict. And he saw my heart. When so many people had counted me out, and so many people just lost hope and lost faith in me, he saw something,” she noted. The officer added that he was only trying to show mercy and grace. “If you have that moment, that chance to show that sympathy, do it because it may make the difference to somebody else,” he said.