Oh boy! I just called the cops on my neighbors.
I was watching a basketball game, and I thought I was hearing something else. I cut the volume down and then I knew I was hearing something that didn't sound good.
I wasn't sure so I went to the laundry room which has a wall adjoining their apartment. I could hear yelling, screaming and thuds. It didn't sound like somebody was playing. I went out to their front door and I could really hear whatever was happening.
I dialed 911 and told them what I knew. There is a 5th grader and an 8th grader who live there with their parents. I believe there is an older sister too. I told 911 that the scream sounded like a young person but that I didn't know who was actually in there. I hadn't heard a gun but I can't hear a knife.
The cops showed up after it seemed to have calmed down. They didn't open the door until the cop knocked three times. The man who they talked to said he just got there which is a lie because I was looking through my peephole. He might have come from behind the apartments though.
The man and a woman assured they had everything under control. It was some kind of problem with one of the kids. I don't know if the cop asked to see the kids, but gawd I hope he did.
When the cop was talking to them, he said that several neighbors called so I don't think it will come back on me. If it does, I'll handle it. I don't play when it comes to kids. At least they know people will call the cops.
I need a drink. This shite upsets me.
= new reply since forum marked as read
because even if nothing happens there will be a record of calls when something does 
years ago I was sleeping in my apartment in the afternoon (I'm a night worker) and I heard screams. I went a couple of doors down - the door was open and in the bedroom in the back I could see a woman sitting in a chair holding a baby.........I couldn't see anyone else.......I said, "Are you OK?" and she simply said, "Would you call the police?". There was someone back there with her; I guess it was a domestic dispute. I called 911 and the cops were there for some time. She never said anything to me about it; I think she was embarrassed. I don't care - if I think someone needs help I am calling, even if it is over and over and over. Like I said, at least a record of disputes at that residence is created. And that is one reason I will never call cops PIGS - they're the ones showing up to deal with that stuff and they never know what they are getting into.
it DOES take a village.
that can rebound on the victims too...
"see, YOU made too much noise..." "Next time we'll tell the cops it was YOUR fault"
Next time they may be quieter when they beat someone. Next time they may gag them before abusing them...
I had an abusive ex, and the cops and neighbors never helped...it just made things worse when they were gone.
but thanks for being a concerned person, it's hard when you think nobody cares what happens to you. Sometimes knowing that someone hears or cares enough to call can be the push to get help or talk to someone...
You did exactly what you should have done. You did the right thing. End of discussion.
wasn't trying to upset you, just pointing out something that seemed obvious to me... peace
You took a stand and did the right thing. You may have saved someone from serious pain or injury. I wish more people would be as courageous as you. You are a hero.
it's possible that two of the four children survived because of that call, according to the Washington Post.
The neighbor reported seeing a knife, blood and an open car door.
The previous night, the police were called by another neighbor who saw an unattended child in a car, but by the time police got there, the child was back in the house, and the residents would not respond to the police knocking. Police had no probably cause to enter at that time.
You never know what might happen if you call, but it's possible that you could be saving a life.
I don;t want to go into details, but when I was 17 and lived in rural upstate NY, a neighbor called the police because something 'wasn't right' when I answered the phone (she had, by strange chance, called) in my house. Our phone had been turned off for making outgoing calls, I learned this as before she called, I tried to call 911.
It turns out that neighbor calling the police probably saved my life as well as my mothers.
Thank you for doing what you did.
and 
Ignore the naysayers on this thread. Some people just live to stir shit.
I made a similar call 20+ years ago. I heard noises in the next door apartment.
I called 911 I think…or maybe the police department, don't remember now. The woman I talked to told me to go knock on the door and ask if everything was alright.
??????
I begged her to send a cop car but she wouldn't. So…that was that. I didn't know what to do. I didn't hear any more bad things after that, and they moved away not long after.
about 15+ years ago, I called the cops to come because there was some very strange stuff happening in front of the townhouse across the way. They asked my address and name; I didn't want to tell them because I didn't want them coming to the door and making it obvious who called the cops. We went back and forth a bit, they promised not to come to the door but they wouldn't send anyone if I didn't give them my name and address.
So I did. Sure enough, the first thing they did was come to my door. 
Turns out the house had been turned into a crack house. Cops came by to all the doors next day, telling us to call immediately if we saw any activity again.
You did the right thing, all things considered.
Though...I did read here on DU that all cops suck and can't be trusted.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making that call. Children have no recourse and sometimes a call can mean life or death. I know some people can't comprehend but when your being batted around like a ball in a pinball machine, staying alive is the only thing on your mind.
Thank You
-p
PS.. I'm treating my PTSD with meds and a regular doctor visits, but it will be forever with me. I don't wish it on anyone and I absolutely have no tolerance for child abuse. I would have probably knocked on the door in my own foolishness so I'm glad cooler heads prevailed.
I have an alphabet soup of diagnoses due to child abuse. From around age 9 all the way up to my forties. A doctor told my hubby I matured intellectually but not emotionally. Emotionally and psychologically I stayed about 9 years old. People think abuse is only physical it isn't. When I see people yell at children I start to abreact and my husband (the Lordship in my name) stops it and brings me back to present day. People also think ptss only happens in war. No. When any awful situation happens to people of any age, their brain changes. It physically changes. Its unfortunate it carries a stigma when mental illness in some cases saves us from truly going insane.
You and anyone else calling when people need help is admirable. If someone had called for police when I'd needed it, I might have not been mentally ill, but perhaps I wouldn't have the empathy and understanding I do for others.
I'm against all forms of abuse, but when my husband tries to do something when he feels the most ill, (we both have fibromyalgia and arthritis) I do consider the frying pan as a cure 
Listen to Patrick Stewart :
except most of the trauma occurred as a result of seeing my parents go at each other.
Food would fly around the kitchen. Dishes. Yelling. Name calling. Accusations.
Seeing my parents battle each other physically...seeing the finger marks on my mom's neck where my father had tried to choke her.
Seeing my mom's face swollen on one side from a broken jaw after he hit her with a beer bottle.
As a child, I was powerless to stop it, and I was left with a terrible dilemma each day
I went to school so I wouldn't have to listen to/see that going on (even though I was tired from not being able to sleep the night before during one of their fights), but always wondered if I would go home to find two dead bodies.
I guess in some ways it was like living in a war zone. Or so I've been told.
Children always suffer the worst
I wish someone had called the cops then
PS...this song always makes me cry...
He's one of my most favorite actors because of his real personality.
At 16 my stepfather grabbed me by the throat and that was that. I blacked out only for a moment and awoke on top of him ready to beat the life out of him but I stopped and walked away. The physical abuse stopped but the mouth went into overtime. Thank you Military for turning a dumb fucking monkey into a violent dumb fucking ape.
I have a host of issues too but at 13 I was circling the drain bad. I would abuse myself (like oh...trying to break the headboard of my bed with my head as one example) and I was dizzy all the time especially when my parents would talk. Reality was absent in our household.
Fortunately my next door neighbor happened upon some home grown and it was the first time I found clarity and a coping mechanism. I got much better after I moved out of the house. Mostly I deal with my hyper vigilance now, a gift is what my therapist called it, HA!
I'm glad you survived it, some kids don't get that lucky.
Take care my friend and I hope to see more of you around here.
-p
It sounds similar to me except your's started earlier and I didn't have physical ailments on top of that! I can feel it through your writing. My mother was fresh out of the jungle in the Philippines and had no idea of anything and when she married my stepfather all hell broke loose, and yes we do remember back to then, I wish they were good memories, but I guess trauma literally burns it in..
The bullying happened at home 24/7 so when I got to school I was ready and full of anger. I beat up a lot of assholes in my time but was never the less concerned about how far I might go so I would, at times, hold back.
But yea, no nurturing, no affection, always hiding, yadda yadda yadda, you know.
I kind of did self parenting on my own cause I learned early on that no one was going to take care of me except myself. Talked to the man high above every night and sometimes during the day. And just to let you know I'm spiritual, not religious. Still, sometimes some uncanny weird shit happened usually for the better but none the less, I'd still fuck it up somehow.
" I'm single now and working on re-parenting and self-care/self-discipline skills." exactly what I went and still am going through because like you said, some things we were never taught. My therapist was great fortunately, but this "gift" of "hyper vigilance" is a weird one for me to digest.
Sounds like I'm the lucky one in this scenario because I'm still in my first marriage even @ 48. We fight of course but she is dedicated to me and I to her. When we had our little girl my life changed for the better. I could see what I never got when I'm with her. I've made it my point to giver all of me as father, not like waiting on her hand and foot, but guiding her through life and keeping her as happy a little girl as I can. I think, maybe as other parents do, that no matter how much they grow up, they are always your baby.
But it is an example of my therapy because before that, we argued like cats and dogs (she is a first born too) and were on the verge of a divorce. We went to couples counseling and that's when the therapist diagnosed my PTSD.
After much work we're all in a happy place now, knock on wood.
Stick with your therapy please, you too can have a happy ending. I personally know it can happen.
If you ever need to talk, I hang out around these parts daily.
Take care friend and thanks for sharing, I know it can be tough sometimes.
-p
You did the right thing.
The wife and kids were being abused by the husband. It was a horrible situation and so heartbreaking. There was one time I heard a body hit a wall above all the screaming, and these weren't apartments. I called the police more than once, but always worried if that call would make it worse.
A few years ago a friend I know in PA heard a fight in the neighboring house. She heard the woman scream, but never called 911 (she was afraid that they would know that she was the one who called). Well, she should have called, the man killed his wife. She's still remorseful that she never made that call.
is for the good to stand by and do nothing.
You didn't stand by, you acted.
I started typing a little of my own history, and I find I still can't share much of it. Suffice it to say the younger me is saying thank you, and the older me is wanting to hug you until you can't breathe. A thousand times, thank you for picking up that phone.
a Republican family to me.
draws a line in the sand IMHO. Something out of the ordinary and potentially dangerous is occurring and should be reported. You definitely did the right thing, Grits! Good for you.
when I was small. Good for you, I applaud you, friend to children.
