by Tracy Lynn Smith

Created on: October 17, 2009

My husband and I went shopping for a large grocery day about every other week with our two boys. Our youngest was about six months old and teething. Our oldest was three. Because both children needed to sit in and cart and we were buying a lot, we got two carts. Our six month old was fussy from teething. My husband had the oldest, while I had the youngest.

We got to the second shopping isle and the six month old kept crying. My husband switched with me and took the youngest. Now my husband is a normal guy with a loud voice. Some people think he is mad when he is just talking. He was pushing the youngest around while talking to him and rubbing his gums with a finger. This would help to sooth the gums and keep him crying. If you looked at them, my husband had a finger in the six month old mouth with his hand resting on the chest of the child.

Almost ready to check out and we realized we forgot something down at the beginning of the store. We had almost found what we were looking for when a guy came up and yelled "I have had enough of you, you ...." and hit my husband in the face and pushed him into the store shelves. The three year old was yelling leave my daddy alone. I was standing in shock. The guy turned to me and said "How could you let this man walk around the store choking your son! What kind of mother are you. I'm calling the cops." I informed the guy he was crazy, although I don't remember exactly what I said. We grabbed our two kids, leaving the groceries behind. I was so embarrassed and confused about what had happened.

The cops met us at our car. We explained our side of the story and we told to drive down to the police station. The police kept our IDs to make sure we went. The police didn't understand why I would leave my groceries behind. I could always get groceries again, I want to get out of the situation and away from that crazy man.

The cops took me and the boys to a room by ourselves and asked us over and over if we had any bruises and problems at home. They also lifted and checked under the kids clothing for bruises. They told me I could make this easier for everyone by telling them what really happened, not what I was told to say. I told them I said the truth and there is nothing more to say. "Nothing is going on at home." They informed me that I could lose the children for allowing this to happen. I understand there are real cases, but we were not one of them. They told me they would have child services visit our home and told us we could go. We told the police we wanted to press charges on the crazy man. We were informed that man was a well known individual in the community and was their vet for their dogs. They refused to press charges claiming he had good reasons and was just protecting the children.

Children service visited our home a few weeks later. They stayed for about two hours. They watched me get dinner ready as my husband fed the six month old. Children services reported that we are a normal family with no problems.

The youngest is now eight and oldest is eleven. We have never experienced anything like this again. We have since moved away from that crooked town.

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