In an emergency situation, the first step would often be to check if there are any people, especially vulnerable individuals like young children, who are in danger.
Imagine the surprise of the police in Cleveland, United Kingdom (UK), when they spotted what looked like a baby ‘abandoned’ in a vehicle on 30 Dec 2021.
Upon smashing the car window and rescuing it, however, they discovered that the baby was actually a doll.
Though this case is a bizarre misunderstanding, at least no real baby was harmed.
According to The Sun, the doll owners – Amy McQuillen and her 10-year-old daughter Darci – went shopping last Thursday (30 Dec).
Apparently tired of carrying her doll named Elliot, Darci placed it in a booster seat inside the family’s Nissan Qashqai.
Her mum Amy reportedly explained that she didn’t notice Darci putting Elliot in a booster seat. Even if she did, she would think that the young girl was just playing.
When the pair returned to the car shortly after, they were shocked to find police officers and a crowd surrounding their vehicle. The car window was also smashed by the police.
The Sun noted that the police told Amy they were investigating a case of child neglect.
The officers allegedly explained that they had received a call about a baby moving in the vehicle. The baby later stopped moving and didn’t seem to be breathing either.
Once Amy learned the fiasco was about her doll, she was quick to clarify the misunderstanding.
She told The Sun,
I couldn’t believe it. I know the dolls are realistic but I didn’t think anything like this would ever happen.
While Amy said that she understood the police’s need to respond to cases of child neglect, she felt embarrassed about the incident. Darci was also reportedly upset over her doll.
Thankfully, the officers were quick to apologise and check if the young girl was okay.
They also offered to pay a £264 bill to fix Amy’s smashed car window.
A spokesperson said that even if the case was a misunderstanding, it was reported with the best intentions. Officers would prefer to “establish a crime has not occurred than miss an opportunity to safeguard a child.”
The turn that a harmless shopping trip took for the mum and daughter duo, while amusing, proves how seriously the police take their jobs as protectors and saviours.
Kudos to them for being efficient and to the concerned passer-by who called for help.
But let’s hope no more of such innocent misunderstandings occur so that the police can focus their resources on more urgent matters.
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Featured image adapted from The Sun UK.
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