swanny Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 i know this happened a year ago but i wanted to hear peoples opinions on this. i got into a fight with my uncle. we were yelling and swearing at eachother. he then grabbed a kitchen knife and threatened to stab me with it. my brother overheard and called the cops straight away. when the cops came they took the knife off him and arrested him and took him away to the police station. the cops then told me he would be finger printed and charged then LET GO! WTF? i nearly got stabbed but they said "technically" he hasnt done anything and they could only do something if he actually stabbed me. WTF so i have to be dead for him to be locked up? he came back home after a couple of hours of being at the police station and said he wouldnt do it again and said sorry. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. i had to lock myself in my room for the fear of my life that he might kill me! i live in aus. what do you guys think of this situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Caliper Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 Exact same thing happened to me, except I was the one with the knife. They released me on my own recognizance after being charged, based in part I had no past record or dealings with the police. Seemed fair enough since no one was actually harmed, just threatened - which they have no way of knowing was real or sham. This all took a while and I was pretty much sobered up by the time I got home late that morning. Isn't this a regular thing in Oz? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witchywoman Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 I personally think it sucks! Once, when my brother was 15, he was home alone with a friend. Some guy, drunk, knocked on the door and my brother answered. He asked for some girl. Of course, she didn't live there, and my brother told him that. Anyway, he forced his way inside, grabbed my brother and threatened to throw him off the 3rd story balcony (apartment). Then, proceeded to put out a cigarette on our floor, which left a burn mark, go through our stuff, and leave. By the time I got home after he called me, the guy came back, and we called police. When the police got there, they questioned us, questioned him, and did NOTHING! Said they didn't see him do anything, so couldn't do anything about it. I can't believe someone can do that and not get in trouble. I guess you have to actually be injured or killed before the police will do anything. Sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
!LostMind! Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 They would give you a speeding ticket but don't help you when your life is possibly in danger. I laugh at the "safer communities together" on the doors of their cars. What a joke. They give me the shits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lysergia Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 here in Canada one could expect the same outcome. if the guy had a history, he'd probably be charged and go to court at a later date. but he wouldn't be put in jail over a threat, terrifying as a threat can be. my daughter's ex-bf did end up with a nice little involuntary stay at the psych ward for pulling that stunt, though. so there's that possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodos Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 It's a crime of assault. An assault is carried out by a threat of bodily harm coupled with an apparent, present ability to cause the harm. Having a dangerous weapon in the hand is aggravated assault - a felony. Contrast to battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Most police don't do much over threats. They try to remove the person temporarily, calm them down, and return them hopefully in a better frame of mind. I am not condoning this in any way, but our jails are overcrowded and if we arrested everyone over a threat, things would get even worse. Repeated, escalating threats and crazy behaviors are more grounds for an involuntary commitment. For people who don't know how to do that process, it's not hard. Lets say that you and your family are increasingly concerned about a family member. You write down your concerns (and I believe there are actual forms you can get off the internet in various states) and take this information to the police or direclty to the judge/magistrate who is on duty. That person can then sign off on the paperwork, and the police can come haul that person in for an involuntary ER assessment and possible commitmnent. In Balt when I moonlighted as a psych evaluator for awhile doing 2 jobs when hubby was laid off, we got 2 or 3 of those a week. They were usually for people with severe BP or schizophrenia where family were really freaked out, and many of them DID end up comitted, and treated. The easiness and difficulty and critera for all this of course varies from state to state. Anna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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