Guita Sazan Silverstein accidentally locked her toddler son in her car on a hot day. A recording of her 911 to a Stamford, Connecticut, dispatcher shows her arguing against breaking the window of the Audi to rescue her son, preferring that police “watch” the boy while she runs over a mile home for a second key. (Silverstein’s explanation is that she feared shattered glass would injure her child.) The window was broken, the boy was rescued, and Silverstein was arrested for child endangerment (allegedly when she tried to leave the scene against police orders while the rescue was pending), and now she wants to sue the city’s police and fire department over the arrest and resulting publicity. “Her attorney, Matthew Maddox said Silverstein should not have been arrested after the July 25 incident. Maddox said police and fire officials should take the blame for any delay or difficulties extracting the boy.” (Tobin A. Coleman, “Lawyer: Officials to blame for baby in car incident”, Stamford Advocate, Jan. 24; AP/Boston Globe, Jan. 24).
Mom locks kid in car, sues firemen and police
Guita Sazan Silverstein accidentally locked her toddler son in her car on a hot day. A recording of her 911 to a Stamford, Connecticut, dispatcher shows her arguing against breaking the window of the Audi to rescue her son, preferring that police “watch” the boy while she runs over a mile home for a second […]
3 Comments
Ms. Silverstein should consider herself lucky that she is only facing criminal charges. Law enforcement personnel could have (and it appears should have) reported her to child protective services for abuse/neglect or even taken the child into protective custody and “handed” the child over to CPS for juvenile court proceedings. Instead of suing the very people who saved her child from her own stupidity, she should be thankful that she still has custody of the child at all.
I was a volunteer fire fighter in NY with 29 years experience including 8 years as a line officer. If I were called to the scene I would have ordered the window broken immediately. My job would have been to save life first and property second. As for the glass excuse there are 4 windows available to break, and breaking one away from the child would be a no brainer. I am not sure how it works in Conn. But in NY when the FD is called to the scene the FD is in charge (except in NYC), the incident commander is responsible and essentially owns the property until the emergency is over.
It really seems this could have been solved with zero problems if someone had just called AAA to come and slim-jim the car.
Alternately, if more expensively, one officer could have been told off to watch the boy, breaking the glass if necessary, and another ferried the mom to get the keys. No fuss, no muss, problem solved.
Unfortunately, policy seems to have superseded personal judgement here. Which it frequently does. I would be very tempted to sue, too, if the same thing had happened to me. (But if I were in the mom’s shoes, I would have asked that the window be broken — I prefer expeditious problem-solving.)
Anyone who thinks CPS involvement is necessary in this case would appear to be even more socialist than I am, which is saying something. Accidentally locking your kid in your car is not a reason to involve the State in someone’s life. Good God.