Charges for Saving Someone

[RicInOR]

A person broke a window to retrieve a fire extinguisher inside
to save someone from a burning vehicle.

SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. – An Idaho woman who acted as a good Samaritan when a child was stuck inside a burning truck could face charges - all over a fire extinguisher.

"I'm in absolute shock," said Tequila Isaacson who jumped in to help when the pickup truck went up in flames.


It happened near the Washington State Department of Transportation restroom building on Snoqualmie Pass.

On Tuesday one of the glass front doors on the neighboring Red Mountain Coffee remained boarded up after Isaacson broke the window on Sunday to gain access to a fire extinguisher.

<broken link removed>

"He was telling me that using a fire extinguisher that doesn't belong to me is theft and you're not allowed to steal it, no matter how good your intentions," she said.

Isaacson said the trooper told her she would need to pay to replace the glass on the door, or else.

"He out right stated that unless I was willing to pay for it right then and there, he would be charging me with burglary," said Isaacson.

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[dmack]

IN Oregon, there is a defense called "choice of evils" , which covers situations like this. Evidently, Washington does not.

 

[IronMonster]

I actually agree with the cop, If you caused hundreds of dollars worth of damage and took something that was secured in a locked building you are responsible for that. It does not matter what your intentions are.

Do I think she should have done it? Hell yes. I probably would do the same, and I would expect to pay for the damages I caused.

 

[Kruel J]

Honestly, it makes sense. But yes, I would have done the same.

 

[albin25]

Yes, legally she is responsible for the damage.
No, morally she is not because it was required to save a child's life.

No, legally the parents of the child are not responsible for the damage.
Yes,, morally the parents of the saved child should take responsibility, and say they broke the glass.

The State Trooper needs to get some corrective attention, before he charges someone with a sex crime for performing CPR!

 

[clearconscience]

In all the BS that happens with the govt, Fed, state, and local not providing propper service to the people of their community I would have done the same, and then told that cop to drop his donuts and get his arse there to help his citizens.
And I'm an avid LEO supporter!

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

Any act of bravery is expensive in some form or another; the child's life is worth whatever the judge decides.

 

[Alexx1401]

Someone needs to pay for the damage. It does not just magically pay its self. Now if the LEO really did threaten to arrest her then he needs to get some training to not be stupid. If it was me? Hell yes I would break the window. I have no doubt many would be willing to chip in to pay for the window.

 

[Cardoff]

Someone needs to pay for the damage. It does not just magically pay its self. Now if the LEO really did threaten to arrest her then he needs to get some training to not be stupid. If it was me? Hell yes I would break the window. I have no doubt many would be willing to chip in to pay for the window.

I've got five on it.

And that cop is the type that promotes the poor stereotype views of a lot of people.

 

[jbett98]

The lesson here is that every vehicle should have a functioning extinguisher.

 

[dangerranger60]

If anyone can find the address, I'd gladly send her $5 toward the repairs, And I could probably find 100 more to do the same! At my last duty station I can't count the times a hat was passed to cover these kinds of repairs, buy some kid a bike, etc... That's the way these type of things are handled. DR

 

[bolus]

If I was the building owner I would step the F up and pay for the damage. What type of no-ball looser press charges for that??? Red mountain coffee? Step up. Your insurance is going to pay for it. You know it is.

 

[jbett98]

Red Mountain Coffee place should name a special coffee drink after her and also set out a tip jar to pay for the damage.

 

[Alexx1401]

Red Mountain Coffee place should name a special coffee drink after her and also set out a tip jar to pay for the damage.

I like this idea a lot. I don't like seeing insurance expected to pay for this kind of stuff. Many seem to seem to forget that when some "insurance Co" pays out it's not some magic pot of money. Many think of Government this way too. As in "let Government pay" like that is some magic money that falls from the sky. That money comes out of someone's pocket. There is zero doubt from me that if they did the jar with a sign they would VERY fast have that amount of money. This is a great way to do this.

 

[The Heretic]

And if the LEO had done it would he or his agency had to pay?

 

[Alexx1401]

And if the LEO had done it would he or his agency had to pay?

I would suspect that if the LEO had broken the window to get at it then yes his agency would of course pay the damage. If the agency expected the LEO to pay out of his own pocket then the jar on the counter would work. In no time they would have the money spent and more for some other cause.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

Most business insurance has a $500 or $1000 deductible, what costs are covered then get taken away by higher premiums the next and following years. It is cheaper in the long run NOT to file a claim.

 

[Stomper]

So if there was the means and time to break a window, why not just break out the car window in the first place and save the kid?

 

[DeanfromOregon]

If there was a hat to pass around to pay for the window, I'd be in for a c note.

 

[Alexx1401]

So if there was the means and time to break a window, why not just break out the car window in the first place and save the kid?

People often just panic in these situations. I have seen people do really bizarre things in these situations. I am sure the person thought they were doing the right thing. Often it's the wrong or a poor choice but people just react.

Years ago a guy I spoke to online a lot was almost killed. He ran a pawn shop. Kook comes in to buy gun. Days later shows up to get gun. He had passed the checks. There was "something off" about him and guy said no he would not sell him a gun, gave him his money back. This kook goes to car and comes in with sword and goes after owner. Owner runs to back of store trying to get to a gun in his office. On the way they get into a couple hand to sword fights. After he got to his office he had been stabbed badly. It finally hit him he has a gun in his pocket the whole time which he pulls and ends the fight. After it was over he was laughing as he recalled running past a couple of loaded guns with tunnel vision focused on getting to one gun in the office. It almost killed him.

Police then found that kook was obsessed with some local TV woman who he had fantasies about. He was planning on kidnapping her.