Police in Alhambra, California, recently responded to a call about a woman who discreetly used a hand signal to ask for help while inside a 7-Eleven store. After noticing the signal, a bystander called 911 and when officers arrived they found the woman at the store with a man. Officers separated the two for questioning and when they went to pat down the man, he tried to run away, but was quickly apprehended.
Authorities discovered the suspect had an active warrant and was carrying a stun gun at the time of his arrest. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirms he was on supervised release, and court records show he has a history of parole violations, firearms offenses, robbery, drug charges, and fleeing from police.
Although the specific signal the woman used wasn’t confirmed, a well-known “Signal for Help” involves tucking the thumb into the palm and closing fingers over it. Carmen McDonald, Executive Director of the Survivor Justice Center, says this case highlights the importance of hand signals and she notes how meaningful it is that someone recognized the signal and acted to support the woman.
Source: CBS NEWS