This is one of those tragic stories. The kind that starts with a frightening domestic assault and escalates when a mother tries to protect her child from a perceived threat. Unfortunately, the ending is a lose/lose situation, full of unintended consequences. Especially for a 30-year-old mother who was assaulted, and then lost her child, and her freedom.

It all began with a 911 call. The call came in just after midnight, someone could be heard screaming in the background. But the caller didn’t provide an address, and so the call had to be traced. Deputies were dispatched to an address in the Village of Peck, and there they encountered a couple with a baby in the midst of a domestic meltdown.

After some questioning, the deputies were able to determine that the man had tried to strangle the woman while the child was nearby. And so the man was arrested. But the officers were still concerned for the child, who had been right there when a violent assault took place. Worried about the baby’s welfare, they called CPS.

But this was where it all began to unravel. CPS attempted to take the infant into temporary protective custody, but the mother refused. And who could blame her? We all know the stories – children removed “for their own good”, taken only “temporarily”, and distraught parents left to battle for months in the court system in an effort to get their children back. Some of them never do. We see it almost every day.

One can hardly blame her. It must have been terrifying. But the problem lay in how this frightened and angry mom chose to respond to her situation. She became violent and attacked the officer. In an effort to disarm him, she also made a grab for his gun. It needs to be noted here that over the years, a great many officers have been shot and killed with their own guns, so it is a subject they are very particular about. In response to the mother’s attempts, another officer tasered her.

Both the man and the woman were taken into custody, and the infant was taken by CPS. After being cleared by a hospital, the woman was taken to the Sanilac County Jail. Neither have been arraigned yet, which is why their names have not yet been released, but police are requesting a number of charges against both of them.

With regards to the man, police are seeking felony charges of strangulation and aggravated assault. As for the mother, they are looking to charge her with three felonies, namely child neglect, resisting and obstructing a police officer, and disarming a police officer.

This is so heartbreaking. In a desperate attempt to keep her child, a woman made a not-very-well-thought-out decision and as a result, may end up in prison for years, far away from that very child she was trying so very hard to save.

If CPS is on your doorstep, attempting to “temporarily” remove your child, contact us immediately. We can help you get your family to safety and your life back in order.