by Donald Hancock

Created on: June 11, 2010

Half - Truth Is Not Enough

August 11 was certainly a day that would be forever vivid in the memory of Dawn McAllister. She would tell her children and grand children, if she ever has any, about that day and the outcome that would be almost unbelievable.

Dawn was on her way to the barber shop where she cut hair for both men and women in a room adjoining the main shop. She crossed Meriweather Ave. in her small sports car and was just accelerating when she saw a small bundle of blue enter the main thorouthfare. It looked as if a small doll had suddenly been given the gift of life and was trying out legs before anything else would work. It was certainly too small for a child - at least a child old enough to run. Without thinking, she stopped her car where it was and got out to run after the object. When she picked the bundle up and ran to the sidewalk, she looked into the face of the most beautiful child she had ever seen - in the flesh, in a photograph, even in a fantasy. She was unbelievably beautiful.

Dawn immediately looked around to see if anyone was in sight, but not only was no one running after the child but no other person was visible in any direction other than those who were driving. And so she ran to her car, placed the child in the passenger seat, and got in to drive the car to a safer parking piace so that she could try to find the mother of the child. But as she started the car she heard a siren and saw the blue lights of a police cruiser directly in back of her. By the time she got out of her car to explain to the officer what had happened, another palroi car pulled across the front of her car to block any possible “get-away”. It’s lights and siren were also on at full blast.

Totally bewildered, Dawn attempted to speak but was overcome with the awareness that she had been somehow  judged as a criminal. As she finally was able to get her tongue engaged, she was stopped abrubtly by the first officer, who gave the familiar Miranda rights...”you have the right to remain silent..”  She was placed in handcuffs and taken to the rear seat of the second car. As this car pulled away she could see that the first officer was picking up the baby. Dawn hoped that he was intending to find the mother in one of the houses near where the child entered the street. She was angered by the thought that the policeman had not even allowed her to share what she had seen and experienced.

At the station she was placed in a chair for “booking”

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