Traffic cop sees the human behind driver's sharp, cutting words — and offers her a life-changing hug
Ricchini, who was driving the car, had a bad attitude and was defensive about being pulled over.
Often, when drivers are pulled over by police for traffic violations, it leads to conflicts as they try to defend their mistakes. Most of the time, officers respond in a way that escalates the situation. But when this woman was pulled over by a traffic cop on March 23, it resulted in an interaction she would never forget.
North Carolina deputy Shawn Singleton was making a standard traffic stop when he asked a woman, Katelyn Ricchini, to pull over her car. Ricchini, who was driving the car, had a bad attitude and was defensive about being pulled over. When Officer Shawn asked about the speed limit, Ricchini is seen arguing with him. However, he responds, "No, I clocked you at 61 in a 45." But Shawn was not going to take Ricchini's route and counter-argue; instead, he did something that changed her perspective. Shawn engaged in a discerning conversation, which took Katelyn Ricchini by surprise.
She revealed that she was heading home from church that Sunday when she was pulled over and was having a bad day. According to Shawn's bodycam footage, when Ricchini asks if she "wasn't allowed to have a bad day?," the officer responds, "No, everybody is entitled to a bad day. I can understand that completely. But I'm trying to be nice and courteous to you, and I'm getting a lot of heat." The officer revealed that he knew she was very aggravated, but kept his composure and decided, despite the heated interaction, to let Ricchini off with a warning. The officer tells her, "I understand you're having a sh*t day. So, I'm not trying to make it any worse. This is a warning ticket for you to slow down. That's it. No court date, no fines, no nothing. I'll ask you to pay attention to speed limit signs. Get to where you’re getting to safely."
But what happens next melted hearts online. When Singleton asks if Ricchini was alright, she breaks down in tears, revealing to him the struggles she had been going through. "No, the anxiety is killing me. I come from a background. I'm clean and sober now, but I’ve always had bad incidents with cops," Ricchini revealed in tears. When Singleton asked if she needed a hug, she got out of the car, and the two shared a heartwarming embrace, as Ricchini burst into tears. She expressed how police had only ever greeted her with handcuffs before, and how Singleton's gesture was completely blowing her mind. She further revealed that she was in an abusive relationship and was in a fight for her life and sobriety, but the interaction she had with Officer Singleton possibly changed her life for the better. "I told him I was ready to give up. I was actually on my way to probably doing something that wasn't in my best interest," she told WSOC-TV.
However, Singleton reassured her, saying, "You’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing now. Don’t lose that hope." For Ricchini, Singleton saved her life, not because she was an addict, but because he saw her for the person that she is. "He saw my heart. He saw that I have potential when so many people counted me out. I was questioning everything and God sent me an angel," she added. In a study authored by Susanne M. Jones and Graham D. Bodie in 2019, researchers explored how mindfulness practices, particularly the facets of describing and observing, positively influenced empathy and active listening skills. These skills are crucial for perceiving and understanding the emotional states of others. When Officer Singleton was faced with a bad attitude from Ricchini, he did not counter-argue; instead, he understood the emotional state of the woman to discern her needs and made comfort a top priority.
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