Her son wore a white work shirt and dark trousers.
He was tall and thin, with short hair and the exhausted expression of someone who had been forced to explain the same frightening experience too many times.
The commissioner shook their hands.
Then sat opposite them.
The mother spoke first.
βMy son was coming home from work.β
The commissioner nodded.
She continued.
βHe repairs cars. He'd just finished a late shift at a garage downtown.β
The young mechanic looked toward the table.
His mother glanced at him.
Then continued.
βHe parked near a convenience store because he wanted to buy something to eat.β
The commissioner listened.
According to the young man, a police cruiser pulled into the parking area shortly afterward.
The sergeant approached.
He questioned the mechanic about his vehicle.
Then accused him of parking illegally.
The young man explained that he'd checked the posted signs.
The sergeant ordered him to move.
He agreed.
But before he could return to the car, a tow truck arrived.
The young man asked why his vehicle was being removed if he was willing to leave.
The sergeant became angry.
He accused the mechanic of interfering with the tow.
The mechanic said he wanted to know whether the car had been legally impounded.
Then he took out his phone.
The sergeant ordered him to stop recording.
The mechanic refused to delete the video.
Moments later, he was pushed against the vehicle and arrested.
The arrest report alleged that he had physically obstructed the officer and resisted lawful commands.
The young man denied both allegations.
He spent the night in custody.
His employer eventually helped him obtain legal representation.
The criminal case was later dismissed after prosecutors reviewed the available evidence and the surrounding circumstances.
But the dismissal didn't return everything he'd lost.
The mechanic had missed several shifts.
His car remained in storage long enough to accumulate substantial fees.
And the garage owner initially considered dismissing him because the arrest created scheduling problems.
His mother borrowed money from relatives to recover the vehicle.
Then she filed a complaint.
The department informed her that the officer's body-camera recording was unavailable because of a malfunction.
She was told the complaint couldn't be substantiated from the available evidence.
The mother looked directly at the commissioner.
βDo you know how much we paid to get that car back?β
He shook his head.
She told him.
The amount was nearly three thousand dollars.
The commissioner remained quiet.
The mother continued.