The Investigation Continues Into an Unsolicited Act of Kindness

[XLFD]

Reports out of Alexandria, Virginia show a little about what has happened with our society.  I noticed an article claiming something happening at an elementary school involving the police that seemed a little hard to believe, and since there was no documentation in support of what happened, I decided to dig further to see whether it was true.  I found this on official website of Alexandia: 

And the Alexandria PD even put the information up on their Facebook page, with a link to the above: 

I can recall a time when I've retrieved an errant ball coming over the fence while walking past Foster School in Ludington, without our local department launching an investigation.  I can imagine in this situation that the ball went over the fence, the child tried to scale the fence to retrieve it and was helped by a good Samaritan to get over it.    

Perhaps school officials are more upset that the integrity of their fencing was breached by this old-timer.   Heaven forbid our young ones ever get to the free side of a fence until they reach adulthood.   Nothing in the story seems to claim there was any crime, misdemeanor, or infraction being committed by the man.

And yet, the APD has spent the time putting the alert up on their webpage and Facebook site, and continue to investigate with their Criminal Investigation Section this geezer paying it forward.  What are they going to do to him if he foolishly comes forward and tells them:  "Yes I helped the boy over the fence so that he could get his ball, and walked him back to school property."? 

Or what if someone else turns him in?  Will they come to his house in a no-knock raid at 3 AM?  Will they take him downtown and interrogate him with their CIS and scare him into admitting thoughtcrimes when he lifted the boy over the fence? 

It is indeed a scary world when you can't do something nice without the local school and police officials treat you as if you're a common criminal, and waste so many resources in investigating what can only be described as a kind gesture by an elderly gentlemen who can remember back when such acts were commonplace and totally innocent. 

[Willy]

It would have made more sense if the man had retrieved the ball and threw it back to the kid. I would also be suspicious of this man. What was he doing next to a school yard and you just don't pick up a kid and lift him out of the school yard. At the very least, this man was extremely naive or he had no common sense. If this was an innocent event then the man should call the police and explain himself. Any stranger hanging around a school yard is cause for suspicion especially if he has physical contact with a child.

[stump]

I agree with Willy, years ago it would have been no big deal but now it seems we have all kinds of weirdo's walking around . Picking up a kid over a fence at a school playground? what was this guy thinking? I guess I vote with the school officials . Find out whether it was just a old man that lives in another era or someone who shouldn't be around kids.

[XLFD]

I can well understand the points of those people who say it is better to be safe than sorry when our kids are involved and it's a good thing to have the school and police get proactive.  I would agree that it would be a little creepy if the man saw the ball go over the fence and instead of getting the ball, reached over and picked the kid up to lift him over the fence. 

My perception of what happened, however, is that the ball went over the fence, the six year old boy was in the midst of scrambling over the fence (and failing to do so) and he was assisted by the man.  In a similar situation, I may have done the same thing as the old gentleman.  But I would be totally scared to death of calling the police considering the reaction to the event, even if I had a spotless record.  A sixty plus year old black pedestrian stealing kids that stray too close to the school fence is rare in the child abduction crime genre.

[Jasper]

It is getting crazier every day.  Whether local or Nationwide.  What about the Waco, Texas situation? Who killed the nine people? The cops?  Well over 170 people jailed with a million $ bond???  The cops have not released who's bullets killed who in this alleged shoot-out between these alleged biker gangs.